Love and War
by weazelbeater
Summary: Ryuko checks in on her troubled sister, only to inadvertently trigger an intense emotional standoff. Can she survive the experience of getting too close to Lady Kiryuin Satsuki? Or is it the opportunity of a lifetime...? Set several months after the show's finale: Rated M for being a stew of language, violence, suggestive sexual themes, incest, traumatic recollections of abuse.
1. - Love and War -

\- Love and War -

Ryuko turned the ornate doorknob and slowly peeked into the study, rapping on the door as she opened it. She cautiously scanned the room, trying to see if this was the right study this time. ' _Pfft._ _Like you even_ _need_ _more than one study, ya big nerd_?" she quietly snorted to herself with a slight smirk.

"Hello, Satsuki? Oi! You here?" she called out into the vast and elaborate chamber. ' _Oh man, is this the right one or what?'_ she thought to herself, being a bit aggravated at the imposing size of the Kiryuin mansion and its many, many rooms. She heard the echoing click of heels quickly approach as Satsuki swung around the corner, and for the briefest of moments Ryuko watched as a baleful glare of reproach gave way to a gleam of relief.

"Ah, it's you. I was hoping that I didn't have to repeat myself again about being disturbed." Satsuki stated with a hint of annoyance.

"Naw. I just figured I'd barge in, see what you were up to and stuff. I told Soroi it was cool. He took some convincing, but…" Ryuko flexed her arms in an absurdly heroic pose. "I got past the boss at the door, using my cunning and wits!" she exclaimed triumphantly, flashing a sly grin at her sister.

"Hmm. Yes, I see. I applaud your resolve." Satsuki deadpanned, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. Ryuko stuck her tongue out playfully as she moved in close and quickly slid her arms around her sister's stiff posture. She gave her a brief hug, but withdrew as she noted Satsuki's reaction, or lack of it. Suddenly feeling awkward, she cautiously sized up her sister's current attitude.

"Uh, is everything okay? I mean, you seem…uh, like not exactly happy to see me? You said I could stop by so we could catch up, and I thought that-" Ryuko mumbled, unsure if her token affection was somehow offensive. It wasn't like the recent memories of being sworn enemies and battling each other with earth-shattering force were soon forgotten.

"No, it's…not you. Please, sit down. I am glad to see you, truly." Satsuki gestured to a large mahogany desk, just around the corner of the study's main entrance. "I'm just a bit overworked and overwhelmed by certain responsibilities. As the acting CEO of REVOCS, I need to ensure that the transition to a post-COVERS world is a controlled and successful one. There is much paperwork involved in such an undertaking. I must succeed if I am to undo the damage that was done."

Ryuko plopped into the leather chair sideways and stretched out. "Now this is comfy! I should use one of these for my gaming sessions!" she exclaimed, while Satsuki brought two steaming cups of tea over to the desk.

"Wouldn't you just throw it out the window in frustration when you lost one of said sessions, dear? I feel as though you perhaps might want to stick to those simple wooden ones instead?" she said with a faint smile as she set down the cups, watching with amusement as Ryuko slammed her fist onto the desk's surface and shouted "I do no such thing! I would have to lose for that to happen, and that doesn't happen! Goddammit! I kick all their asses!" Teaspoons jangled in their saucers as the force of her outburst shook the desk.

"Of course. I could not see you losing gracefully." Satsuki evenly stated. Ryuko stared at her, fuming with gritted teeth. "Oh, like you, the great Kiryuin Satsuki, would enjoy losing to a lesser talent?" she hissed, still trying to decide if her sister's comment was meant to be a barbed insult or just dismissive.

"If I ever lose, I see it as a learning opportunity. I use the experience to improve my performance. I would, however, not waste time or energy getting angry. Especially if it is only a game." Satsuki rubbed the bridge of her nose, eyes shut as she tried to force away her stress headache away through sheer resolve.

Ryuko's face relaxed, forgetting her flare up of extreme competitiveness and the fiery attitude that accompanied it. She leaned forward, and hesitatingly asked "Hey…you okay? I didn't mean to get all riled up and excited and crap like that. I'm just checking to see how yer doin' since they released you from the hospital. I thought you said you were all healed?"

Satsuki glanced at her sister's furrowed brow and worried stare. She straightened up and put on a pleasant face. Smiling faintly, she chirped "I'm just fine. Thank you for your concern. I appreciate it." Ryuko's head tilted as she regarded this sudden change in Satsuki's attitude. "Huh. That's pretty good." she stated out loud, matter-of-factly.

"Pretty good? What are you referring to, Ryuko?" she said, one of her eyebrows raised in a quizzical manner.

"It's like you think you're good at poker. You think you can control your expressions, and someone who didn't know you would believe that face. But you haven't ever actually played poker…have you, Sats?" Ryuko reached over and gently placed her hand on Satsuki's, watching as she noted the almost imperceptible tensing of her sister's already stiff form.

"I am more of a chess person, myself" Satsuki uttered, her eyes fixated on the hand that was caressing hers. She slowly raised her gaze to Ryuko's own. Glistening blue eyes full of concern and worry stared back at her, unblinking.

She did not move to react, and it was only after spots started swimming in her vision that she noticed her own breathing had stopped when Ryuko's fingers made contact with her skin. "Hey, Sats. You can talk to me, y'know? If anything is wrong, I can help. I know that things have been weird lately, but we've both lived very weird lives, right? I promise I can relate to that!"

Satsuki exhaled, controlling her breathing to make it seem as though it hadn't imprisoned inside her for far too long. "Ah, well. I suppose I have been distracted by all the events that have transpired in these past few months. I haven't really been allowed much time to reflect…or absorb…" Her eyes grew distant and unfocused, distracted by the threat of lurking memories that she had been forever keeping at bay.

* * *

She was cut off by the sensation of hands, caressing her tightly corded neck muscles in firm yet smooth motions. Satsuki gasped and sat upright, her right hand blurring into the desk drawer that contained Bakuzan Gako. She gripped the ebon blade tightly as she swerved around in her chair, only for another hand to deftly grip her wrist in an iron grasp.

"Sats! Holy hell! It's just me! I'm sorry! Don't come at me with that fucking can opener!" Ryuko spluttered, her cobalt eyes wide with panic as she warily regarded the blade clenched in her sister's trembling fist. Satsuki froze, her vision swimming with frenzied shapes that soon formed into a recognizable visage: her sister's fearful expression. The gleaming tantō clattered on the desk, the sound startling her into gasping out loud. Eyes wide, she slowly relaxed her screaming muscles, feeling the sharp sensation of aching bones and soreness flood back into her awareness. A hot tear slid out from her right eye, streaking a wet trail down her cheek.

"Ryuko…I am so…very sorry…I didn't m-mean. Mean…I f-felt the…ah-" Satsuki stammered, trying desperately to regain her shattered composure. A swell of cold shame writhed within as she realized her indomitable mask of iron was precariously slipping. Her breath hitched as her sides buckled, traitorous sobs escaping unbidden from her chest. ' _No! No, I will not allow it! This will_ _not_ _happen! Not in front of_ _her_ _! Remember who you are!'_ her mind savagely screamed, but her treasonous body simply would not listen.

Ryuko fell to her knees in a panic, grabbing her elder sister's shaking form as she hunched precariously over the edge of the office chair. Satsuki's hand shot out to grab the desk but found her sister's shoulder instead. She clamped down with incredible force, unintentionally enveloping Ryuko's deltoid with a claw of steel. Ryuko gasped at the unexpected strength of the grip, yelling out "Ow, Sats! God dammit! Let go! Ffffuck! That hurts!"

Her fingers white with strain, Satsuki look down and uttered a strangled choke as she saw what she was doing. She forced her hand to tear away from Ryuko's throbbing shoulder, tears streaming freely from her downcast face. Her nails painfully dug into her palm as she stared at her guilty fist, her mind wondering from afar why her body would rebel like this. The sensation of piercing in her palm brought her focus back, as she slowly adjusted to her current situation.

Rivulets of blood slowly seeped into her upturned palm as she finally managed to withdraw nails from flesh. She stared at the crimson trickling from crescent-shaped gashes in her skin, stunned into mortified silence as she tried to gather her wits and process just what happened.

Shoulder throbbing, Ryuko shakily rose to her feet. She was about to utter a sarcastic jab at her sister about being a freaking lunatic when her jaw dropped open. She couldn't believe the hunched over, trembling form that was now before her was the very same proud, confident soldier she came to visit. "Fuck. What just happened? My God, you're hurt! Shitshitshityou'rebleeding!" she blurted, rushing over to comfort her wounded sibling.

Satsuki just stared vacantly at her sister, shell shocked and too shamed to speak. She let her perfect mask slip and now Ryuko could see her exposed as the fraud she was…throat too swollen to croak out a plausible excuse for her shameful actions. Cheeks and ears flushed a deep scarlet, her eyes glittered with moisture as the Kiryuin heir was racked with pained spasms.

Her mind's fury boiled poisonously under the surface, screaming out a litany of insults. ' _SHAME! You fucking FAILURE! Weak! Foolish damned PIG!'_ her mind screamed _,_ cursing the unforgiveable transgressions of her rebellious body for disobeying her formerly indomitable will. Her pounding pulse formed a dull, whooshing roar in her ears as she slumped over, weeping listlessly.

She looked up wearily as Ryuko rushed back, arms full of first aid supplies from the office bathroom. She knelt in front of her elder sister's chair, gently taking charge of treating Satsuki's lacerated palm. Ryuko grimaced as she ripped open an alcohol pad and pressed it into her sister's outstretched palm. "I'm sorry, I know this hurts, I have to do this, please don't be mad" she mumbled in what was hoped to be a gentle, reassuring tone.

Ryuko wasn't very good at being on this side of triage. She was more used to being the wounded one, always wincing and squirming when someone stitched up her numerous battle injuries or even worse, jabbing her with a ghastly _syringe._ She was a terrible patient, she thought. ' _Probably have to actually_ _have_ _patience to be a good one, maybe? I dunno'_ she mused idly. She taped a large gauze pad over the wounds and then carefully pressed her hand into Satsuki's. "Ah, I'm not sure if these need stitches. We might have to bring you over to a clinic so someone better than me at this can—"

Satsuki cut her off, finger held to Ryuko's lips sternly. She drew in a deep breath, straightened herself into a semblance of rigid control and whispered "Please accept my deepest apology for my behavior", her eyes closed to deliver the statement. She couldn't yet bear her sister's direct gaze. She was still searching through the ruined wreckage of her composure for the will to do so when she felt a series of soft strokes, wiping away moisture from her still-burning face.

"Look. I don't know exactly what just happened, but I swear that I will fucking destroy whatever is responsible for this. Just point the way." Ryuko growled as she shook her fist, flexing her arms in preparation to annihilate her sister's unseen enemies. Satsuki opened her eyes, and was greeted by the welcome vision of her sister, her protector, glowing with a radiating red sparkly light.

"You already did." Satsuki declared quietly.

* * *

"Bwuh? But…huh? I did?" Ryuko said with uncertainty. Finding herself precariously poised over her sister's vulnerable internal mechanisms, she relaxed the ' _immediately-kick-everyone's-ass/decide-if-it-was-proper-later_ ' pose that she was accustomed to relying on for so much of her life. Better to not carelessly drop a tool into the hood of _this_ fearsome yet delicate machine, Ryuko sensed.

"I just have to find a way to realize this. To let it sink in. That she _is_ finally dead." Satsuki's eyes narrowed to intense slits. "The Wicked Witch is dead." she spat with a hateful sneer, lip unconsciously curling to show gleaming white canines.

"Wait. You mean…Ragyo? Um…I didn't _really_ kill her, myself. She kinda took the coward's way out, you know? She offed herself before I could kill the fucking bitch. I mean, I'm not gonna argue with the results, but I…I do kinda wish she had faced more of a punishment for what she did. She deserved worse than she got. She gets off light while we continue to suffer, I guess. She was fucking radioactive!"

Ryuko cautiously moved towards her big sister. Satsuki drew up into her superior self and flinched ever so slightly as a hug enveloped her in an earnest warmth that she had never really experienced before. Satsuki slowly embraced her younger sister, forcing herself to breathe normally. Coiled tension seeping out of her aching spine, she found her body rebelling against her commands once more as she hugged Ryuko back in an increasingly tight embrace. Her breasts squeezed against her sibling's, and Ryuko let out a small squeak of "Whoa. You're strong like an anaconda there, sis!"

Satsuki released her grip and allowed Ryuko to breathe again. "Ah, sorry about that, I don't know what or where—" "God dammit, Sats. You don't have to rationalize caring. Jeez! Lighten up, ya big dork!" Ryuko rolled her eyes then bit her lower lip playfully, and snorted "It's nice to see you loosen up that diamond ass of yours for once, yeah?"

"You…Matoi…you…" Satsuki's animated eyebrows danced back and forth, struggling to win the tug of war between feigned disapproval and genuine appreciation. She sighed, and a slight smirk was allowed to spread across her face. "You are quite infuriating at times. I believe that is your secret power, imouto."

Ryuko beamed. "Ha! I take my victories when I can, however I can. Your smile has made this battle worth it!" She suddenly adopted a serious, intense look. "But, let it be known that there will be a war. A war that I will win! This I promise! I will stop at nothing to defeat your sadness!" she exclaimed, swinging exaggerated fist pumps in her sister's direction.

"Yes, I see. I believe you. You, Matoi Ryuko, are stubborn and crazy enough to undertake this mission." Satsuki ruefully admitted. She sat back down, trying to allow her body to relax. She could feel gravity actively working against her, as tiredness made her limbs feel leaden. She slowly sank into the leather chair's supple folds, the energy to sit up in her usual ramrod posture expended in the fight against her rebelling emotions. She surrendered, knowing that this particular battle was a regretful loss in her war journal.

* * *

Ryuko mounted her own chair and spun it around in a lazy circle. As she twirled around slowly, her beaming grin gave way to a more concerned look. "So. Now that I proooobably won't lose my head to a sword strike, mind telling me exactly what I did to cause all of this?" Satsuki glared at her, stung by the evocative language her sister casually used. Ryuko immediately sensed that she had stepped on a sensitive nerve, and her face fell. "Oh God. What the fuck is wrong with me? I didn't mean to say it that way! I'm so _stupid_! Sats, I'm sorry!"

Satsuki briefly looked down at her desk, then raised her head up again. "It is okay, Ryuko. You did not mean it. I know this." She absentmindedly traced the curve of her Bakuzan Gako blade, noting that the edge was still as razor sharp as it ever was. "It's amazing what this sword has endured, don't you think?" she said thoughtfully, reflecting upon the near-orgasmic feeling she experienced as her keen blade sliced through Raygo's neck that day. "It was once shattered, yet even now still serves as a reforged weapon. A testament to tenacity, I suppose."

She grimaced as the euphoric memory of ending her mother's reign of terror was snuffed out, the incomprehensible terror of that godforsaken creature's unexpected survival drowning out even the horrifically brutal beating she suffered immediately afterwards.

Ryuko watched as her sister turned the blade over in her hands. She smiled wanly and softly said "Yeah. Put back together again by the people who love and respect you. It's too unique and irreplaceable, y'know? Priceless, even. You can't just toss it out because it cracked once." She paused, and a mess of black and crimson bangs obscured her face as her voice became low and guttural. "It's too f-fucking precious to lose."

Satsuki was a bit taken aback at the astute wisdom embedded in the comment her uncouth sister just made. She casually glanced across at her sibling, and a streak of heartache flared in her chest when she saw the stream of tears peeking out from Ryuko's unruly mop of hair. Ryuko looked up suddenly, and shining droplets flew from her cheeks as she shouted out "I can't ever hurt you again! Please, just tell me what it was! I will never do it again, I swear! I'll be a better sister! The best! I'll learn how, I'll make you proud of me! I know I'm not a perfect angel, but I can't live with the idea that I hurt you."

She fixed her steely eyes on Satsuki's surprised expression, lip trembling slightly. "Look, I l-love you, okay? You're my n-n- _nee-san_! There, I said it! See? I just need help understanding you. What you've been through. I know it h-hurts, okay? I've _been there_!" She sniffled, then sighed and mumbled "Look, I've seen your hospital charts, okay? Your records? I know that you were hurt way worse than you admitted to anyone. I can sniff out a tough guy act from a mile away, believe me. So I peeked. I know about those muscle tears. The skeletal fractures. The nerve damage that fighting _her_ caused. That wearing fucking Junketsu caused. All of it."

Satsuki just stared. A whirlwind of thoughts raced through her mind, unable to choose from panic, fear, shame and anger. At her sister for snooping around. At Raygo, for creating her own private hell on Earth. At herself, for being weak and allowing these events to transpire. At herself for stumbling, showing momentary weakness in front of another. She quietly whispered "What of it? I endured. It was necessary. For the sake of this entire planet, I endured. I had to…the stakes were too high. This I understood, even at an early age."

Satsuki reached into her desk drawer and methodically produced a cut crystal decanter and two exquisite tumblers. She placed these on the desk, and then strode over to the study's door. It was locked with a loud snap as Ryuko watched her sister wordlessly stalk back across the room like an African carnivore stalking its hapless prey. Ice cubes clinked into the tumblers as Ryuko murmured with a small voice "Sats…? You…uhh…drink? Like, the hard stuff?"

"No. I do not." Satsuki said firmly with a steady, low voice. She reached out to grasp the decanter and slowly pried off the stopper. A strong, medicinal smell filled the room as the deep amber liquid cascaded into Ryuko's glass, then her own. She then thoughtfully studied the decanter in her hands, watching the day's last dying sunlight reflect diffuse sparkle patterns on the desk. "This belonged to my-our father."

Ryuko breathed in sharply, the involuntary action drawing in some of the liquor's potent fumes. She hesitatingly sniffed the glass, and looked back up to her sister's neutral gaze. "Okay. So…why, then? Why now? You're not, like, _using_ this to get through-" Satsuki abruptly cut her off. "Because he is not here to do so. Someone needs to toast to his ultimate victory. He won the greatest victory of all time, you realize. He set in motion the gamble, the plan to save us all."

Satsuki raised her glass and tapped it to Ryuko's own. "To sacrifice." She murmured softly, then carefully sipped a bit of the drink as Ryuko muttered "To dad!"…and then downed the entire glass in one gulp.

"Ryuko! This is _cognac_! It's supposed to be sipped slowly!" Satsuki admonished, her mouth agape in shock as she watched Ryuko comically shake her head, tongue lolling out as she gasped and coughed. "Coulda…said…that…before, sis!" she choked out, still spluttering from the burning fire in her throat. "Whoo! Tastes like fucking Listerine! Damn!"

Satsuki sighed, placing her tumbler neatly on the carved walnut coaster on her desk. She drummed her fingers in a staccato of rapid, pointed reports as her young sister smirked sheepishly. "Sorry, I thought it was some cheap whiskey or somethin', didn't check first, I guess. That'll learn me, right?" She giggled, as the warmth spread through her belly. "Awwww, I can feel the love!" she blurted out, then started chortling like a hyena as a small grin appeared on Satsuki's otherwise stern face.

 _'_ _No propensity to change her ways, acts before thinking, and is outright rebellious at times! Why act surprised at this particular turn of events, Kiryuin?'_ Satsuki lectured herself, sighing again as Ryuko snorted and hiccupped.

"I suppose in retrospect I should have made it clear what it was. I will know better in the future, to keep you out of trouble. Someone has to, I believe. You just plunge into danger headfirst without considering the consequences, do you not?"

Ryuko paused in her mirthfulness, sides aching as her peals of laughter echoed off the study's cavernous walls. "Yeah, I do. Always have. Reckless fucker, ain't I? So what, it's only pain. I'm used to it." She examined her knuckles intently, lost in the memories of countless fights caused at the drop of a hat.

The raw emotion of her statement was not lost on Satsuki. "I think you like it, Ryuko. The pain, I mean." she carefully prodded, and was not entirely surprised to hear Ryuko quietly respond with "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

* * *

Her eyes darted up to Satsuki's, deadly serious. "It helps me feel something. Good attention, bad attention…whatever. Been begging for attention since I can remember, I guess. I'll take whatever I can get. But that's not the fucking _point_ about what makes me cream _my_ panties, _is it_?" she spat out through clenched teeth while stabbing her index finger at her crotch, causing Satsuki to flinch at the unexpectedly heated response. "Change the fucking subject again and I swear I will beat it out of you, Kiryuin Satsuki. Answer. My. Question." She punctuated her last three words with punches of a clenched fist into her open palm. Satsuki flinched, as if hot embers landed on her skin.

Her eyes widened. "Ryuko! Imouto-san, I didn't mean to imply that you—" "Hey. Stop with that apology shit. You want to make it up to me? Just answer me. Please?" Ryuko said softly, pleading with eyes that hinted of tears if she didn't get her way. She then smiled, and wryly commented "Hey, Sats. I guess I've let slip some embarrassing shit about myself, right? I'm dropping all my dirty laundry off tonight, I guess I should watch my drinking or whatever. Only fair to spill some of yours, too. Deal?"

Satsuki's shoulders slumped back into her chair, being both verbally and emotionally checkmated. "All right, fine. Deal. What I tell you is for your ears _only_ , I hope you understand. I have perhaps…hinted to a few trusted associates in my life about _some_ of the things I have endured…but no one has ever been directly told these facts. Is that understood?"

Her piercing stare was directed at her sister, eyebrows curved up in what she calculated as a firm yet pleading gesture. Ryuko's hand snaked across the desk and gripped Satsuki's palm, nudging her tumbler and splashing a fine spray of cognac on her knuckles in the process. "I swear to you, sis. I will never breathe to another soul anything you tell me in confidence. I just want to help you. This I solemnly swear to you, Lady Kiryuin Satsuki."

Satsuki closed her eyes, then pressed her sister's hand back as she steeled herself. Quelling the grip of cold-as-glass fear inside her spine, she stated in a steady, monotone voice "The first orgasm I ever experienced was at the hands of Kiryuin Ragyo, Head CEO of REVOCS. I was eleven years old. I did not have a choice in the matter. She had been touching me for several years prior to this. It was part of her brainwashing method to prepare me as her heir. Part of the process that she referred to as… _purification_. It was a practice intended to break down my resistance to life fibers… to make me more susceptible to my inevitable physical possession by that damned 'wedding' kamui of mine. The guilt and shame I have felt from this has led me to become a soulless tyrant. An inhuman dictator. A cold weapon, forged for the sole purpose of destroying an unholy alien abomination."

Satsuki paused, briefly marveling at how easy it was to encapsulate her existence in such a simple and efficient manner. No tears of weakness escaped her eyes. She allowed herself to feel a tiny modicum of pride mixed with relief from not completely breaking down at the words she just heard herself utter. Finding a scrap of pride still remaining at this point was small comfort, though. Satsuki slowly opened her eyes, a wash of vertigo surging as she focused on bracing for her younger sister's reaction.

Ryuko let out an involuntary gasp. Her fingers trembled as she squeezed Satsuki's hand harder, tears pouring freely from her sparkling blue eyes. "P-purity…Junketsu? I used to _insult_ you with that word when we fought! Oh, Sats. I had no idea how much that must have hurt. I didn't know…I…she—" She stopped abruptly, clutching at her jackhammering heart. "That f-fucking…monster! She did this to her…own child. No. _Ch-children!_ You. M-me! She, she…that soulless fucking _cunt_! GrrraaaAAAAAAH!"

Ryuko raised up and hurled her empty tumbler at the direction of the far window with unfathomable fury. Her anger proved to be supersonic: as the crystal tumbler left her hand and made contact with what was supposed to be bulletproof glass, it made a piercing * _ksh_ _ **CRACK**_ _!_ * sound as a molten spray of sparks arced away from the newly appearing spiderweb pattern. A terrifying roar of frustration burst forth from the young Matoi's throat, raging steel tendons and veins bulging as she shook with boiling anger.

Satsuki stood there, impassively observing her sister's meltdown. She reached out with her good hand, gently intertwining her outstretched fingers with Ryuko's trembling, frenzied fist. Ryuko froze, opened her eyes and gaped at her sister's unnerving calmness. Satsuki firmly urged "Stop, Ryuko. Please…just stop!" to her enraged sibling. Ryuko felt the rage dissipate at the first nudge of this gentle touch; rage was transformed to intense waves of bitter sorrow and remorse. Clutching at her sister's chest, she bawled out a string of obscenities as she weakly pounded at her sister's shoulder. "How can you…b-be so… _calm_? You've endured the most _horrifying_ atrocities and you are just…like _this_? What she did to me, that fucking mind rape…she did that to you for what, a fucking decade? Sats, _how_?"

Satsuki met her gaze, motionless and expressionless. She opened her mouth and softly formed words…but nothing came out. Steeling herself, she tried again and was able to croak out "Now you know more about me than anyone has ever known. Even Soroi. Now you have an idea of the sacrifice…the responsibility I vowed to shoulder, _no matter what_. Why I'm such a soulless fucking monster. I made myself that to fight.. _it_. The alien creature that took our mother's shape." Satsuki whispered solemnly as she drew close to Ryuko's tear-stained face. "Ragyo was going to destroy the entire world. I had no choice. Please…please forgive me. I did what I _had to do_."

A single tear slipped out from her otherwise blank porcelain mask. Satsuki stared at her dear younger sister's confused expression, waiting for absolution that her heart knew she did not deserve. She used people callously as her tools, her weapons in a grand scheme to rid the world of the planet-ending threat of Life Fibers. She didn't care. She became inured to the cancer of guilt a long time ago. She just hated admitting it to another soul. If it was one thing she couldn't stand, it was the idea of pity being foisted upon her. Pity might have weakened her resolve, and she could not have _ever_ afforded that chance.

Ryuko's eyes focused upon her elder sister's face. "So when I touched you, tried to massage your back, your neck...it was, I mean, you thought for a minute that…?" Satsuki breathed out a quick breath of tension, and tersely admitted "Yes, I thought that somehow, _somehow_ …that accursed bitch came back to finish the job. To p-purify me once and for all."

Goosebumps ripples in waves of revulsion across Satsuki's arms, and she shuddered and hugged herself, absently rubbing her neck while she studied Ryuko's reaction. "I…it's got _nothing_ to do with you, Ryuko. I was just…I was distracted! I was just surprised, that's all! That's all..." she muttered, more at herself than her sibling at that point. "I'm just so very glad that I didn't hurt you. I just do not prefer it when people…approach me from behind un-unexpectedly and t-touch me w-without…ah, I mean it…"

Breathing beginning to hitch again, she hugged herself even tighter, and Ryuko panicked when she saw that Satsuki was once more slipping down a roller coaster of traumatic memories. "No…no-nono _no_ , Sats, NO! Look at me!" She stood firmly in front of her sister, gently cupping Satsuki's chin in her hands. She maneuvered her sister's downturned, trembling face up into her own smiling gaze. "I get it. I understand. I understand _you_. Okay? I _understand_. You don't have to hide it from me, yeah? You…you can help  me, right? Me? Sats? Please? This means you get _me_ too, right?"

Satsuki shifted her vacant thousand-millennia stare back to present day Ryuko's wide open eyes. She could see the reflection of her own pale, angular face in the intricate gear-shaped pupils of her sister's enchanting eyes. She hesitated, then slowly reached out with her lips until they found Ryuko's. She pressed gently against her mouth, eyes wide and unable to blink for fear of missing the slightest shred of a reaction.

She felt as though she was observing herself through a telescope: her mind was strung out over what felt like a hundred miles, yet could only observe as her quivering lips yearned for solace. For comfort. For understanding. Perhaps even for absolution.

* * *

Ryuko stiffened, then emitted a nearly imperceptible groan as she found her body melting in slow motion against Satsuki's. She realized then that she had somehow…wha-? Stopped breathing? Ryuko abruptly let out a strange chuckle, then another one as she pressed her mouth to Satsuki's indescribably soft flesh.

Ryuko stroked her sister's cheek gently with raised fingertips, then sheepishly drew back her mouth and quipped a faint "How…how did you know?" A single, sparkling thread of saliva connected their lower lips; she regarded it with a bemused glance before casually wiping it away.

Satsuki blinked. "How did I know…what?" She hesitated, unsure if she heard the comment correctly. Her mind reeled, feverishly pondering what she thought Ryuko meant. Now was _not_ the time for misinterpretation! "That I _want you_. Have wanted you. Basically since we met." Ryuko cautiously watched for a response, biting her lower lip in anticipation of either a fist or another kiss.

Satsuki blushed, a full-on blush of sweeping crimson as she leaned back and regarded Ryuko's impish smirk and gentle gaze. She touched her lips with her finger, trying to convince herself that this situation was possible, _was_ happening. She raised her finger authoritatively, as if about to declare a newly discovered scientific fact, then felt a brief wave of embarrassment as she tried to form coherent words and utterly failed. The words dissolved in her turbulent mind before they reached her mouth. Satsuki idly wondered what those words might have been, as she had no idea.

"What are we doing, Ryuko?" she asked breathlessly. Ryuko leaned forward and gave her another passionate kiss, savoring the exquisite scent of her sister's jasmine-tinged essence. "I'll tell you what we are doing, Sats. We're _healing_. Together. We're both some pretty uniquely fucked up creatures, you and me. I don't relate to anyone else like I relate to you, y'know? You and me! Beautifully fucked up creatures."

"Relate. Yes, we are related. This is wrong. We…can't. Do this." Satsuki mumbled. Ryuko reeled back gleefully while grasping Satsuki's shoulders, suddenly struck by a recent memory. "Oh, yeeaaah. I know how this happened. I forgot!" She fixed Satsuki with a knowing grin. "So, yeah. Um…that buddy of yours, Inumuta Hōka? He's a bit too good at his job, y'know? You can probably thank _him_ for this."

* * *

Satsuki's eyes flew open in a panic, suddenly afraid of what meddling her Devas might have perpetrated in her absence. "WHAT? What did he say? What did he _do_? Tell me, Ryuko!" Her fist raised up, she gesticulated at her computer, swearing under her breath for trusting that slick digital weasel.

"Hold on, it's not like that, Sats! He's a good puppy, I swear! You have some very loyal people, y'know. Too good at their jobs, maybe…?" She shrugged, allowing her comment to hang on the breeze. Ryuko briefly enjoyed the lively squirming her sister was acting out. ' _How very unladylike, methinks. No composure left now, huh, Sis?'_ she snorted to herself as she gestured for Satsuki to sit down.

"Okay, it's like this. When we were on that Naked Sun ship and everyone was formulating our final attack plan against the Original Life Fiber, right? One of the things I did was I went to the information pimp himself. I told Inumuta I wanted all the hard data he had collected on this shit. I wanted to know all I could going into the final battle."

"Tactically, that is a sound preparation technique. I agree that this was a wise course of action." Satsuki clinically murmured, feeling a brief swell of pride at the notion that she might have rubbed off on her little sister at that point.

Ryuko glowed at the compliment. "Right on! So I made him give me his tablet, the one he's always leering at. I wanted my _own_ interpretation of the raw data, not his sanitized version. So I dove into his collection of data and did some digging. Your boy Inumuta, he really spends all of his time entering that precious data into his computers, ya know." She smirked at the memory of her forced confiscation of his personal machine, promising that she would be 'gentle' with it as long as full access was granted.

"He _allowed_ this? He never lets _anyone_ touch his personal computers. He is very mindful of security procedures, especially regarding his own equipment." Satsuki marveled. She bemusedly considered this to be the equivalent of Jakuzure Nonon listening to Nickelback or Gamagoori Ira letting someone off with just a warning over a major rule infraction.

"Oh, well…'allowed' would be too polite a phrase. More like I mmmaybe offered to remove his equipment via his ass, as an alternate choice. Maybe." Ryuko grinned impishly. "Oh, I also pointed out that the situation was serious enough to allow him to reconsider his protocols, in light of the planet potentially _exploding_. That might have been mentioned, too."

"At any rate, I did some research. And I found out that his obsession with data goes very deep, and that he has analytical profiles of every _one_ and every _thing_ that happens around him. Down to the smallest detail. He even knows how many batteries Nonon's fucking purple toy takes, for crying out loud!"

Satsuki gave an involuntary gasp. Apparently their conversations regarding his handling of the other Devas' privacy was not taken to heart like she originally surmised. She sighed ruefully, vowing to cross that bridge when she could find a way to tactfully address it. "So…what does that have to do with us? He cannot possibly have any data about our…feelings! _I_ didn't even really know until just now!" she exclaimed, feeling a slight pang of worry as Ryuko turned to her. "Right. Unless he guessed that we would do this before we did."

Satsuki stared at her sister, unable to perceive how this could possibly be. "So, he said that we were…attracted to one another? Did he somehow pick up on something subconsciously? With the way that we interacted previously? Or…" Her eyes narrowed, wondering exactly how smart Hōka Inumuta really was under that zippered collar of his.

In the back corners of her mind, she mulled the odd poker comment Ryuko observed earlier. ' _Are my intentions really that easy to read?'_ she admonished. She made a mental note to review in closer detail how she interacted with others in the future. This perceived weakness would no longer be tolerated by _Lady Kiryuin Satsuki!_

Ryuko rolled her eyes and awkwardly scratched the back of her head, sheepish grin on her face. "Ah, well…not exactly? I mean, sort of, it's not really what you think. I don't think he connected _those_ dots. I mean… he _did_ collect what he referred to as 'biometric behavioral markers' or something nerdy like that. Things like skin response, pupillary reactions, crap like that. And he…uhh…noted that I was apparently displaying classic attraction signs or sexual arousal or w-whatever. When we fought. And talked. And umm…interacted in any way. So…yeah. Maybe you were too, I guess." Ryuko's turn to blush arrived, as she stammered out her flustered facts while Satsuki listened with rapt attention.

Ryuko leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling as she scratched her chin nervously. "So, he cross references a lot of this stuff with other stuff, right? Ideas, theories, supporting evidence, whatever. And he linked some related information to various internet databases. I followed the biometric links, not really getting the point of them…until it came to a reference called _aw_ _crap, what was it called? Oh, yeah!_ the Westermarck theory or effect or some rule like that, whatever. It's a psychological theory about, ummm…attraction between siblings that grew up separated from each other, so they never got that 'ew, icky' feeling about their sisters. Right?"

Satsuki nodded briefly, as she processed the implications of this new and evocative information. Ryuko continued "Well, it _also_ says that when this scenario happens…it can trigger intense mutual attraction, should those separated siblings ever actually meet! Something about the rules of genetic sexual attraction, when people get turned on by others similar to themselves? So I read _that_ and it finally hit me like a fucking bullet train. That weird, confusing aggravation that I was always feeling whenever we met? Well, it turns out…I was _horny_. "

* * *

Satsuki looked down at her desk, eyes absently scanning over the intricate gold filigree patterns on the edge of the desk. "I do not recall feeling this way when we…fought…like savage…oh—" Sudden memories of her post-fight activities came crashing into her mind. Images of her private, frenzied masturbation sessions, sweating and crying during hot showers as she vigorously finger-fucked her pussy senseless…and the unsettling confusion that followed.

Not knowing why such base animal instincts would befall her after such crushingly painful fights with Ryuko: she had blamed these powerful urges on Junketsu, stressing her physical limits. Being intricately linked into her nervous system, she had just chalked up these erratic impulses to some kind of neurological feedback or physical damage by the violent, parasitic kamui. A necessary evil, or so she had assumed at the time.

"I just wanted to shut you up, at first." Ryuko reminisced. "You really got my blood burning, Kiryuin. Your smug, condescending attitude. I just couldn't accept that you also made me…wet. Creamed my panties! Fuck! Your…beauty. Power. Resolve. I mean, Senketsu _swore_ that he had nothing to do with it, y'know? I could not figure it out. It just made me madder! Until that day on the ship. Suddenly it all made sense. All those incredibly naughty thoughts. Urges. Uncontrollable…um…you know. Stuff."

Ryuko smiled weakly at her sister, and sheepishly shrugged. "I still wouldn't allow myself to really _admit_ it, even then. I mean, at the time…shit! My skin was still stinging from ripping Junketsu off my body. You know that feeling from wearing Junketsu, right? That…buzzing in your skull of a constant rush like you're cumming, only like _all the time_?"

Satsuki flushed, and just nodded as she felt her stomach tighten at the memory of trying to control those insane surges…wanting to let it break free and consume her with only her supreme _iron will_ holding it in check.

Ryuko pointed a finger at her sister, noting the reaction she elicited. "Yeaaah, _that_. So…imagine the opposite as I tore that goddamned parasite from my body. It tried to take my fucking nervous system with it for rejecting it outright. It…was locked into me tight. Believe me, Nui made sure."

Her eyes narrowed to slits at the shameful memories of being forcibly conjoined to that evil thing, and the lustful orgy of brainwashing that accompanied it. Ryuko swallowed her bitter recollections of that orgasmic bliss, heart skipping guiltily as the feeling of those manipulative, invasive fingers echoed in her mind.

"I cannot possibly describe that level of pain, Sats. I didn't even care if it killed me, it hurt so much! It wasn't even really pain at that point…it was pure goddamned agony. I guess Junketsu didn't appreciate my fucking _iron will either_."

She glanced at Satsuki's face as a hint of recognition skittered across her mouth, lips tightly pursing and then opening in awe. Satsuki tilted her head slightly as a sneaking suspicion crept into her head. "Wait. How did you…that's what—" Ryuko interjected softly: "It told me, Sats."

Satsuki's eyes glazed over. She understood. Junketsu must have somehow shared the impression of what it sensed about her desires, her urges. It somehow picked up on her behavioral cues, in a similar fashion to how Inumuta's devices recorded it. ' _And Ryuko's known this for months and didn't say a single thing! Not a hint!'_

Satsuki's eyes stopped tracing endless patterns in her desk and started to trace endless patterns in Ryuko's Life Fiber-warped eyes instead. "If you know just how unbelievably powerful this feels, then how can _you_ resist…? I mean, everything between us…I learned to ignore my own desires from an early age. But you? You always act so impulsively!"

Ryuko met her gaze, smiling warmly. "Because I cannot possibly bear the thought of hurting you again. I know how goddamned lonely you have felt all this time. Believe it or not, I've felt the same. We're pretty similar in some ways, Sats. Some pain you just can't ignore. But the idea, the very _idea_! That I could hurt you like _she_ did? I would rather rip Junketsu from my flesh a thousand times more."

She leaned over, looking Satsuki straight in the eyes. "I would rather _die_ than allow that to happen. You need to heal, move on, live. You were robbed of your entire damned _life_. I ain't gonna let _my_ own needs, _my_ wants get in the way of that."

* * *

It was Ryuko's turn to slump now, tiredly sinking into the chair. She casually slung one sneaker-clad foot up onto the desk's edge, legs lazily spread without a care. Arms hanging limply at the chair's sides, she stared up at the ceiling and murmured "You have nightmares." Satsuki paused, analyzing whether it was a clumsily phrased question or a blatant statement of fact. She decided that the latter of the two was appropriate, given her newfound openness with Ryuko about her existence.

"Yes. Of course I do." she stated in a clipped fashion. It wouldn't take one of Inumuta's high-resolution cameras to capture _that_ boldfaced lie if she attempted to tell it now, she surmised. "Yeahhh…me, too, I guess." Ryuko mumbled, her lower lip protruding slightly with unconscious vulnerability.

Satsuki softly offered a gentle "I'm very sorry, imouto-san" as her good hand crept over the mahogany desk's smooth veneer, coming to rest on Ryuko's otherwise impolitely placed foot on her desk. She slipped her hand down to Ryuko's smooth, exposed shin and gave it a firm yet gentle squeeze, and a brief smile slipped over the younger sister's expression.

"Those…hands." Ryuko's voice trailed off, and Satsuki's comforting caress froze. "Y-yes? Is it acceptable if—" Ryuko's hand waved a dismissal in the air. "Oh, no! Not _your_ hands! Sorry, sorry…yours are just like perfectly silky, smooth and talented and um…other things I can't put to words right now. But _good_ things though…y'know?"

Ryuko put forth a warm, appreciative smile which put Satsuki more at ease. She swiftly withdrew her touch, however, when Ryuko soberly muttered "No, I meant _hers_. Those rude harpy claws. Like…" her voice trailed off as she observed Satsuki absentmindedly clutching at her wrist, holding her wounded hand as though it was a sparrow with a broken wing.

"Umm…sorry, Sats. I know you…know what I mean. I…um…was just thinking out loud. My nightmares, that's what I meant! I was just trying to talk about it, I guess? Th-that's all." Her voice cracked as a brief glimmer of tears appeared in one corner of her eyes.

She took a deep breath and stated "Fuck, enough of that. I don't think we need to dwell on _that_ stuff anymore, right?" Ryuko smiled hopefully over at her elder sister, trying to lift the dreadfully oppressive mood that hung over the two by sheer force of what she pretended was Mako's sunshine-and-cheer powered force of will.

Satsuki got up and gracefully slid over to her sister's side. She perched herself onto the arm of Ryuko's chair, putting a hand on her younger sibling's shoulder. They locked eyes, and a brief moment of hesitation gave way to a sudden, urgent request. "Sleep with me. Tonight. Here, with me." Satsuki whispered urgently, and Ryuko's mouth gaped open slightly as she blinked, stunned.

"Wha-buh-huh…?" Ryuko blurted clumsily, as her sister gazed down with what seemed to be quite unnatural and out of place on the young Kiryuin heir's face: a small, mischievous smile.

* * *

Ryuko's gaping maw drooped open a bit more when she observed Satsuki's suddenly lively eyes, sparkling with newfound energy. "You, ah…sure? I mean, just to be clear, are you asking to…I mean, you wanna…you know? With m-me?" she stuttered, as her outstretched finger motioned towards her suddenly-heating-up crotch.

Satsuki then did what Ryuko was certain is a sign that her uptight sister was replaced by a robot double or something equally ridiculous…she pouted out her lip seductively and formed a grand arch of exaggerated begging with her eyebrows, her chin nodding ever so slightly. It was at once intensely adorable, supremely sexy and intoxicating.

"I…deserve happiness. I _do_." Satsuki intoned with a low, emphatic growl. Ryuko nodded, eyes hypnotically transfixed on her sister's pouting lips. "Hah…yeah. We both do. We deserve that, we've earned it. Right, Sats?" she managed to breathe out. Trying to concentrate on forming coherent words was tough, Ryuko decided. The delicious, velvety feeling of being enveloped by Junketsu had somehow returned, only it was coming from within this time.

Her hand involuntarily twitched as she reached out towards Satsuki's firm, sculpted jawline. Satsuki's hand deliberately reached up, grabbed the incoming caress and redirected it to her breasts. Ryuko's eyes darted down, and as confirmation of the suspected contact reached her mind, she felt a warm trickle of wetness surge in her panties. She huffed, and slowly started to trace one of Satsuki's diamond hard nipples through her silken blouse.

Satsuki breathed in, imperceptibly wincing at the ultra-sensitive nature of her chest. Her brain was bathed in a molten lava of synapses, firing an overwhelming concerto of pleasurable input. A wave of chills swept through the base of her spine as she vaguely realized that the immutable wall which normally held such petty distractions at bay…was fractured, buckling. No…was _gone_?

She whispered urgently in Ryuko's ear " _We_ deserve happiness. I'll prove it to you…that she cannot be allowed to win anymore. Her hold over our souls is _over!_ I'm so very tired…of denying myself what others have. A ch-chance at a…a normal life."

Ryuko threw her head back and laughed, hair whipping back in a black and crimson arc. "Ha! Normal? Like anyone's ever gonna put us in _that_ category, Sats! A fucked up mutant punk and a severely repressed ice princess? What a pair _we_ make, right?"

She cupped her hands around Satsuki's breasts and squeezed. Leaning closer, Ryuko enjoyed the subtle rush of warmth from being in close proximity to her sister's heaving chest. She looked down to the impressive globes of perfectly smooth cleavage pressed between her hands, then grinned seductively as her eyes met Satsuki's wide-open cerulean orbs.

"Where…is your…bedroom…Sats? Hmm?" Ryuko's puckered lips mumbled out between small, sensual pecks on Satsuki's cleavage. Immaculately lacquered nails flashed quickly as Satsuki's deftly unbuttoned her tailored blouse. Powerful, athletic shoulders wriggled loose of their silk covers, and Ryuko marveled at their impressively sculpted tone.

Satsuki's breathing became uneven, and she managed to huff out muffled directions between kisses placed repeatedly upon Ryuko's ruffled hair. "Third…door…on the right. P-past the gold…lamp."

Ryuko suddenly stopped, and fixed a resolute gaze upon her flustered sister's crumbling façade of composure. Satsuki stood there, panting and twisting impatiently on her heels. She gave a curious, sad look at her younger sister and wondered if this was the moment where Ryuko chose to back out, to withdraw from this heated battle. Where her beloved Imouto-chan came to her senses and rejected her obviously ugly, wanton, shameful behavior!

A bolt of razor-wire panic shot through her, and she couldn't help but wince as her heart tried to process the sting of sudden adrenaline. Her cheeks flared; uncountable needle pricks of burning shame lit up her system as she struggled on the precipice of fear. Fear of losing her chance at true freedom. Of releasing her desires from their shackles, if only just this once.

* * *

Her vision swam, and the sound of her lovely sibling's voice swooshed in and out of perception's reach. She managed to blurt out a weak "Wh-what, I'm sorry…Ryuko, I did not…ahh…catch that…?", to which her sister gleefully begged "Close your eyes, Sats. Trust me, okaaay? Come ooon…"

Satsuki focused on the visage of the grinning, leering sly devil known as Ryuko Matoi, then slowly closed her eyes as ordered. She didn't like this, but whatever happened, happened. Lady Kiryuin Satsuki was caught up in this torrent whether she liked it or not, so she reluctantly decided to let Ryuko steer the way.

She was too emotionally drained to clack her dominant heel into the marble floor and take her usual control. That urge _was_ there, she dully noted…but it seemed detached and far away, like she was idly watching it happen to another Kiryuin, not her own self.

A gleeful chuckle made Satsuki flutter with nervousness, but she couldn't detect any maliciousness or cruelty in the sound. Ryuko's hands flew off her shoulders, and she struggled to make sense of the odd rustling, flapping fabric noises that were presenting themselves in front of her.

The automatic instinct to reach out with her other keen senses was drowned out by the overwhelming distraction of how noticeably moist her slit seemed to be right now. She bit her lip impatiently, and whispered out to the room "Ryuko? Are you…have you, ahh…changed—"

Satsuki was suddenly walloped by a swatch of clothing, consisting of a bundled ball of jacket, jeans and sweaty socks. Gasping with surprise, she balled her fists and opened her eyes to the chortling, snorting hyena that was her sister. Ryuko's hand reached inside her shirt's armpit and, like a practiced magician pulling off a dazzling sleight-of-hand, slipped her blue and white striped bra out of her shirt's arm hole in one clean stroke.

Satsuki's indignant protest was cut off by an incoming lingerie missile, the bra wrapping around her utterly shocked face. A giggle burst out into the room, and Satsuki was even more shocked to hear it coming from _her own throat_! She laughed again, and her authoritative, masterful voice called out " _Ryuko Matoiii_! You'll pay for that sneak attack!"

Ryuko stuck out her tongue, lashing it back and forth as she waggled her shapely ass in front of the now-unlocked study doorway. "All's fair in love and war, _Kiryuin Satsukiiii_!" she screamed triumphantly, screeching as her sister started to give chase. Satsuki lunged forward, her taunting prey taking flight down the hallway while giggling wildly all the way. Her joyful war shrieks resembled an eagle's cry, tearing down the hall in pursuit of a certain red-tinged sparrow's cute little tail.

As she rushed down and around the study's corner to her now-open bedroom's cavernous entrance, her soul felt light and ethereal, like an impossibly heavy weight was lifted from her exhausted frame. Peals of heartfelt laughter from both girls soon gave way to passionate moans, as Satsuki dutifully tackled her dear lovely Ryuko and punished her mercilessly for those perceived transgressions….thanking her profusely as she did.


	2. - A Cup of Kindness -

\- A Cup of Kindness -

Satsuki was completing the last of her early morning tai chi forms when she received the message. The customized alert tone identified it as coming from one REVOCS Research & Development departmental head Inumuta Hōka: she briskly verified that her late-morning time slot was, in fact, free before accepting his meeting request. One brief shower later, she made her way to her personal side kitchen to prepare for her guest's arrival.

"Inumuta, may I interest you in some breakfast tea? Soroi was kind enough to bring back some Bettys Special Rare Green tea as a souvenir back from his recent trip to the United Kingdom. I'm growing quite fond of it, myself. I have also taken the liberty of obtaining some of that 'programmer's extra caffeinated' beverage I have observed you consuming all the time. It is in the refrigerator, if you wish to partake."

Inumuta's eyes lit up. " _Really_? You have some ' _ **C** affeine_ _**P** lus **P** lus_®' here? Excellent! I didn't have a chance to get some this morning. You have my sincerest thanks, Lady Satsuki." He sipped some of the fizzy drink and sighed in content, snorting when he read the yellow fine-print disclaimer on the label: "It's not Java based!™" He chuckled, murmuring quietly to himself "Heh. Of course not, it actually _works_!" as the welcome dose of caffeine coursed its way into his system.

Satsuki grinned slightly and stated "Ah, I'm glad I purchased the correct beverage, then. Consider it a token of gratitude for your continued efforts." He bowed his head in response.

"So, tell me. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today, Inumuta?" Satsuki asked as she sat down at one of the stools next to the kitchen's expansive center island, savoring the rich, floral scent of her morning tea.

"I wanted to bring you up to date on my Research and Development Team's recent progress, and today was a perfect opportunity to present tangible proof of our progress." At this, he set down a cloth bag and slid a handsome mahogany container out onto the kitchen counter. It was delicately placed in front of Satsuki, and her eyebrows arched ever so slightly with muted surprise.

"This appears to be quite the elegant presentation for simple research samples, if that is indeed what lies within?" she stated, a trace of curiosity present in her otherwise businesslike demeanor. Inumuta's fingertips outlined the edges of the lid, coming to rest upon an ornate latch. "Ah, yes…but it is also more. Therein lies a proof-of-concept example of a most promising breakthrough in cutting-edge material repair. This particular object, however, serves a dual purpose in that regard."

He gently released the container's gold latch, then backed away as he stood up ramrod-straight and gestured smartly with an outstretched hand. "Lady Satsuki, if you would please do the honors."

Satsuki briefly probed Hōka's demure expression for clues as to his slightly peculiar behavior. Detecting none, she sighed and proceeded to open the box, looking inside the velvet-lined interior for answers. Her eyes examined the mound of tissue paper within, covering a naggingly familiar yet out-of-place shape. Satsuki plucked away the paper and then froze, her mind easily identifying the object as a simple porcelain tea cup, yet not comprehending the subtle sensation of déjà vu that prickled her senses.

"It is a…tea cup. Well…it certainly _is_ quite lovely, Hōka. Is this your subtle way of convincing me to approve next quarter's R  & D budget? I'm not so easily bribed, you must know…" she prodded, smirking gently as she watched Inumuta flinch at such an insidious accusation.

"N-no, my Lady! I could _never_ employ such deception towards one such as yourself!" He nervously readjusted his glasses, flustered at having such an unexpected comment leveled towards himself. "I-I implore you to look closer. I believe you will find yourself pleasantly delighted at such a welcome…reunion."

Satsuki fixed him with a hard stare, a single raised eyebrow denoting her slight irritation at what was appearing to be some sort of a game to her company's head of research. "Reunion? What on Earth are you insinuating? Yes, I will admit, this _does_ appear to be the type and style of tea cup I am rather fond of, and have been since I was but a child. But I fail to see exactly what…this-"

Déjà vu renewed its assault, causing a chill to shudder throughout her being. The young Kiryuin cocked her head slightly as she muttered to herself "Why _is_ this cup so damningly familiar? It seems so much like my…no! It looks _exactly_ like my…this simply cannot be? Hōka, you must explain! Where did you obtain this cup? It looks to be an _exact_ replica of my favorite tea cup, but how did this come to be? How did you replicate such a precisely detailed version of that treasured heirloom?"

Surreptitiously monitoring the secret video capture of the project's unveiling on his tablet, Inumuta's emerald eyes darted up to meet her perplexed gaze. Such delightful uncertainty was quite rare to observe from the 'Steel Queen', and he silently prayed that his evisceration would not be the end result for daring to record such a sensitive and vulnerable moment in Satsuki's life. ' _Eh. I can arrange to access this feed later from a hospital bed. Statistically, an exceedingly rare opportunity: the risk was calculated beforehand and deemed to be worth it._ ' he internally mulled as careful words of reassurance proceeded to issue forth from his mouth.

"Lady Satsuki, I assure you, this is _not_ a replica. It is _the_ very same cup you have treasured for most of your life, resurrected by our revolutionary new material reconfiguration technique that we at the lab are perfecting as we speak!" Inumuta's chest swelled with pride as he basked in the glow of his scientific proficiency. He took the liberty of loosening his zippered collar at this point: he anticipated a slew of detailed explanations in the very near future, and practicality was key for the moment.

Satsuki was stunned. Her jaw agape, she unblinkingly caressed the handle, confirming the feel of its every miniscule bump and unique imperfection…yet still not comprehending it all the same. She quietly whispered "No, this is not possible. I…acted rather rashly and broke that cup. Destroyed it. It's been gone for quite some time, as I recall."

Inumuta cheerfully exclaimed "Not quite, my Lady! Actually, Soroi saved all those broken pieces that day, thinking that he could perhaps salvage or repair it for you. It _was_ your favorite cup, after all. He just never discovered a satisfactory method of repair that was befitting your expectations of absolute quality."

"So, here's the interesting thing. This cup was flawlessly resurrected from the original parts using some new techniques born from our research into hardened life fiber manipulation. Thanks to Matoi Ryuko's kind, ah…patience and generosity, our understanding of exactly how her father created these forms is increasing exponentially." Inumuta absentmindedly adjusted his glasses once more as he leaned over the table, using a pen's tip to point out the finer details of the cup's features as he illustrated his thought processes.

"What's revolutionary about this method is that there are _no_ signs of repair work, down to the individual atoms. This porcelain cup is essentially the exact same object as it was before it was shattered. Porcelain, and all ceramic by nature is extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible, to repair perfectly. You normally need to use bonding materials such as glue or epoxy to repair such things…and of course, trace cracks _will_ be evident, regardless of the skill involved. Yet this is what we have done here: absolutely _flawless_ repair, using only the original materials. Reshaped, reordered on a molecular level."

His eyes alight with the excitement that accompanied technical achievement, Inumuta glanced up at Satsuki's transfixed expression. Expecting to perhaps observe his leader's usual staid, cool gaze, he was surprised to see something else entirely. Her eyes had taken on a cloudy, unfocused glaze as she reminisced of ordeals long gone by, memories of solace sometimes only being found in the warm comfort of this very same vessel in her once-small hands.

* * *

"Hōka, I…don't know what to say. This is truly unbelievable. That you could even _accomplish_ such a feat is one thing. But the fact that you did _this_ …for me? I have not earned such…gratitude?" Satsuki's breath imperceptibly hitched, and she found herself involuntarily raising a hand to staunch the threat of tears, concealing this motion by pinching the bridge of her nose in feigned distress.

Satsuki focused, an imperceptible, controlled rush of air venting from her nose as she zeroed out her thoughts back into a semblance of order. She was becoming less successful in taming these recent emotional surges: phenomena such as tears were barging in unannounced, muddy footprints callously tracked across her mental command center. Such _weakness_ …making itself at home in _her_ pristine, orderly mind? Quite vexing, to say the least.

"I beg to differ, my Lady. You are owed a great deal of respect from a vast number of individuals, for your lifetime of dedication to the greater good." Inumuta bowed low, expressing his deep respect for all she did, had done and would continue to do for all those around her. "We all wished for this event to be of great and meaningful significance to you. So, yes…I chose this cup as the trial run for our new method. Personally, I believe I am merely acting as an agent of karma. Observe."

He gently lifted the cup and pointed out the delicate manufacturing stamp on the bottom. Using his pen to draw Satsuki's eyes to the intricate blue design, he traced the endless knot symbol imprinted in the cup's bottom. A single eyebrow flitted up in curious surprise. She had not noted the significance of this karmic symbol until just now.

"You deserve this, Lady Satsuki. For all you have done, your selfless sacrifice. This, I believe, was meant to _be_!" Inumuta now handed Satsuki the cup, cradling it gently as he placed the precious memento in her outstretched palms.

She gazed fondly upon its gleaming surface, fingertips slowly tracing the cup's edge as the memory of every microscopic imperfection flooded once more into her senses. A chill swept through her being as a whisper of goosebumps shivered across her flesh. It really _was_ the exact cup she had cherished for most of her life, brought back in perfect, exquisite form.

"It was the height of foolishness for me to destroy this in the first place. I suppose even _I_ am not immune to foolhardy impulse, yes?" she mused to herself, a sudden yin-yang image of herself and her sister emerging in her thoughts. She smirked wryly, noting that any such foolish actions would certainly be attributable to Ryuko's realm of chaotic influence.

Satsuki's finger tapped the table's surface repeatedly, thrumming out a Morse code of complex thoughts. "Inumuta, I have a question. How did this particular project end up being related to the ongoing life fiber research you are overseeing? Is there some material connection I am not perceiving…?"

Inumuta's hand rose up, index finger pointing to the ceiling as if to declare that lecture hall was now in session. "Ah! Most observant of you. In fact, there _is_ a great deal of similarity between manipulated life fibers and modern ceramics. Our current working theory is that the technique your father employed to weaponize these fibers allowed him to create a material that has properties similar to…well, certain bioceramics, metals, graphite and perhaps even a form of nanotechnology."

Now both eyebrows formed a quizzical arc over her placid blue eyes. "Consider my curiosity piqued, Inumuta. How do you mean, 'nanotechnology'? I was under the impression that life fibers are for the most part…alive, albeit obviously alien in nature?"

He tapped furiously onto his tablet, drawing up various charts and schematics to illustrate the concepts as they had been formulated so far. Laying the tablet out onto the table, he gestured through several slides as he continued the impromptu lecture.

"A wise man once said ' _Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic_.' This applies here, as the fundamental concept as to what life fibers actually _are_ is rather difficult to encapsulate into currently understood human scientific terms."

"Much of our recent data has been enhanced by the fortuitous discovery of Professor Matoi's research backup system. We discovered it upon reexamination of Ryuko's former homestead's lower level."

He smirked faintly. "It was most fortunate that she was kind enough to grant us permission to search the area again for clues. Ground-penetrating radar sweeps pinpointed the backup system embedded under the foundation…it was rather cleverly hidden."

Inumuta's hand motions became grandiose, caught up in the excitement of technological passion. His pen rapidly gestured with all the passionate energy of Jakazure Nonon's baton conducting her beloved Mozart.

"In fact, the backup device _itself_ was an ingenious design! It was encased in an environmentally hardened capsule, and the backup data stream was continuously transmitted to it in real time _wirelessly_! The fact that he was able to overcome the signal attenuation through all that rebar and concrete _and_ maintain such rapid, sustained data transfer speeds is nothing short of a _miracle_! Why, I can't _wait_ to reverse engineer the—"

Satsuki's countenance hardened, and she cleared her throat as a minute but clear message. "Hōka, please focus on the task at hand. I truly appreciate your enthusiasm, but…" she prodded softly, and he stopped at once, sputtering out a profuse string of apologies. His zeal for technology was often the only thing that escaped his otherwise calculated, icy disposition…and the potential ramifications of these recent laboratory discoveries were difficult to process, even for him.

Satsuki's fingers pressed briefly onto his, immediately stilling his flustered mind. Such uncharacteristic gentleness from her was somewhat unsettling to him. ' _Hmm._ _Changes in her mannerisms: unmistakable'_ Inumuta mused silently, updating his ever-present behavioral observations. _'Ryuko's continued presence is having quite the profound effect on our illustrious leader's persona. Intriguing. Must remember to note this fact in personal logs.'_

His focus thrown off-kilter by her uncharacteristically soft demeanor, Hōka closed his eyes and bowed to her. "Forgive me for allowing myself to be…distracted!" the tech genius sheepishly mumbled. "It won't happen again, milady." Satsuki motioned for him to continue and he did so, if in a somewhat more controlled manner.

"Ah…yes. So! Life fibers. When properly manipulated into hardened forms such as Matoi's scissor blades or your own Bakuzan sword: harder than rhenium diboride. Tensile strength estimated to be greater than graphene by a factor of nearly two. They show signs of possibly being a theoretical allotrope of carbon or possibly boron, tentatively hinting at a new type of element that simply does not normally exist in this part of the galaxy."

Inumuta continued on breathlessly, excitement causing his neck to flush. "In general, fibers can be woven into an incredibly advanced type of nanomesh that can be manipulated on-the-fly to form complex shapes, armored fabrics, jet propulsion engines…even fully functional human clones… _eh_ , of a sort. Hints of quantum entanglement manipulation capabilities exist as well, such as those observed by - _ah_ \- Nui's observed physics-defying abilities. Comprehending _this_ level of functionality is somewhat akin to an ant trying to understand the inner workings of a computer processor. So, to us mere primates, it's…"

"…magic." Satsuki murmured, index finger pressed upon her cheek in thought. "So what does all this mean? Life fibers are merely…a highly advanced form of technology? Tools? Or are they living creatures?"

Inumuta's eyes wide open, he could barely contain his excitement "It means that, as far as our current theories can estimate, life fibers are a sort of…well, 'stem cell' element that is endlessly configurable into just about _any_ type of shape, device or cloth…provided one has the ability to 'order' it to do so. Your father was able to develop a method for forging them into cloth or weapons, 'commanding' them to do as he saw fit."

He sat down then, shoulders drooping as his tone changed. "What we _don't_ know at this point, is the exact methodology behind this 'command' interface. I personally believe – and this is purely conjecture on my part, of course – is that it is a 'language barrier' of sorts, for lack of a better term. Dr. Matoi certainly learned some choice phrases that had the desired effect…but he didn't really _decipher_ their language, per se.

"However, certain entities can interface _directly_ with them and issue these commands as easily as one would motion with a mouse cursor. Nui could, of course…as she was once observed to be able to easily reconfigure one of the scissor blades into a scythe at will. Your sister could certainly shrink and enlarge those very same blades on demand, as well"

Taking off his blue-tinted glasses and using a small cloth to rub them, Inumuta hesitated to continue. "Ah, as to if…they are actually, truly _alive_ in a biological sense as we perceive it? I can no longer say. This definition of 'life' is a…difficult one to grasp. They _could_ be just some kind of extraordinarily advanced example of technology, perhaps created and programmed as an ideal form to travel efficiently throughout the universe…purely organic creatures simply would not fare well against hard radiation, gamma rays, solar winds…ah, I simply cannot find the words. I apologize, Lady Satsuki."

He replaced his glasses, framing his somewhat worrisome visage. He was obviously grappling with philosophical ponderings that could not be expressed in a simple fashion, and it displeased him greatly to encounter data so defiant of categorization.

"It's not like you to be at a loss for words, Hōka. Are you unwell?" Satsuki finally put forth, noting that his flood of words had abruptly ceased. "I…would rather focus upon the facts that _are_ known at this point, if such a thing pleases you, my Lady." One firm nod from his erstwhile commander later, he continued explaining what was known so far.

"That they can be classified as a form of nanotechnology, I can be fairly certain. I had noted something curious upon reviewing my collected data of your documented battles with the transf- _ahem_ , your…sister, Ryuko: large quantities of superheated steam were emitted during times of great exertion, from both her kamui as well as your own. Have you ever wondered why?"

Satsuki paused, considering his query carefully before proffering her own observation. "As I recall, those were times where an extraordinary amount of heat was generated by the power we were wielding. I had _assumed_ that it perhaps was some form of…well, sweating on Junketsu's part? We _did_ push our respective uniforms to the very limit; our fights were…rather demanding, of course."

Satsuki tried to quell the emotional maelstrom that threatened to betray her illusory composure as best she could: lingering echoes of horrifying pain, soul-draining exertion, bitter guilt stemming from the potential sororicide of her sweet, lovely Ryuko in the heat of battle (a since-averted risk that nonetheless was personally _unforgivable_!)…and piercing through all this static was the innocuous phrase ' _my collected data_ '.

* * *

Oh. _Yes_. That ever-present ' _data_ ' collection, and its far-reaching consequences. Lady Satsuki Kiryuin marshalled her indomitable concentration, her face a mask of pure professional calmness as she turned to face her former Information and Strategy Committee Chairman.

"Speaking of _data collection_ , Hōka…please _do_ forgive me for not bringing this up earlier, but I was just reminded of something. Something that came to my attention recently and I must discuss it with you. It is of greatest importance."

Inumuta pushed up his glasses, scanning his former Student Council President's demeanor for any hints of what her mood might have been…and what tactic he might prepare in case it involved some of his more…unsavory predilections. "Of course, my Lady. What subject do you wish to discuss?" he stated evenly, employing the most neutral expression he could project.

Satsuki pressed forward, wanting to get this conversation out of the way as diplomatically as possible. Yet she could not prevent a tiny fragment of disappointment from coloring her speech as she made her feelings known.

"We have discussed this activity before, Inumuta…the overall reach of your data collection habits. I understand that, as the one responsible for the academy's strategic assessment, you were always with your proverbial 'ears to the ground', as it were. I have _always_ been appreciative of your performance as such and I could not be more grateful for your service to my cause."

She leaned forward, her outward appearance as calm as a summer's morning. The increasing gravity of the situation not lost to the uncannily perceptive blue-haired man, however.

"Please do not get the wrong impression…but there are some boundaries that simply _should not_ be breached, as a matter of professional courtesy. Boundaries that, it _should_ be obvious, would not yield any useful data that would be considered…tactically advantageous."

Hōka chose to gamble just then, a risky venture that nonetheless pushed the very boundaries of what he considered sane given the circumstances: he dared to interrupt Lady Satsuki during one of her stern lectures.

"This is about _Ryuko_ , isn't it?" he stated pointedly, letting the comment fly to become the catalyst for…what exactly? He would soon find out if his educated guesstimate was 'tactically advantageous', he surmised…whether it would be from that aforementioned hospital bed or not? That was a rather belated thought that crystallized at the last microsecond.

"R-Ryuko is… _not_ the subject at hand here, Inumuta." The slightest of pauses betrayed her focus: the subtle biting of her lower lip, in combination with her eyebrows colluding to furrow upon her tremulous forehead was enough to show her hand.

Inumuta carefully gathered his wits, deciding to strike now with what he prayed was the most heartfelt apology to ever pass from his lips…the exact details of which he was going to just have to creatively ad-lib as he went along if he were to survive this encounter.

* * *

A horrid, squealing commotion broke through the atmosphere of the potential Mexican standoff building in Satsuki's kitchen. The briefest of blurs _whooshed_ by the door as they both turned to the hallway, faces frozen in a simultaneous expression of incredulousness as a cacophony of muffled thuds and curses exploded from the hall. The kitchen door suddenly gave way to a Ryuko-shaped streak, sneakers chirping a rapid chatter of basketball-court-worthy squeaks as rubber protested against newly-waxed floor.

"Nee- _SAAAAN_!" Ryuko's war cry echoed as she pounced upon her hapless sister, any sense of decorum promptly tossed aside for the impending garage sale of Lady Satsuki's dignity. The shock-and-awe campaign a resounding success, Satsuki could only sit, frozen at stiff attention as her overly excited sister planted a wet, sloppy kiss on her cheek.

"Now I ask ya, Sats? Who the hell keeps waxing these damned hallways? Like, is it _really_ that important to have shiny floors all the time? 'Cause it sure is wreakin' _havoc_ on my cornering ability!" She snorted and smooched her sister's flustered face again, sniggering as she opened her eyes and suddenly took in Inumuta's now-zippered form.

"Ah…hey there, nerd. Didn't see ya lurking there, being all positively sneaky and stuff _as usual_." She withdrew her red-cheeked face from her sister's stone expression as he calmly took in this latest spectacle.

"Greetings, Matoi! Truly, a pleasure to see you again." he uttered cheerfully, secretly relieved that the Kiryuin Reaper's blade had fallen just short of his zippered neck…this time.

"Ryuko, dear. Was there - _ahem_ \- something you required? I _was_ in the middle of an important…meeting." Satsuki said, her sweet voice refusing to reveal the tiniest shred of the frustration at her _darling_ little sibling's unthinkably inopportune interruption.

"Ooh, that's gonna be tough to get out. I thing I mmmight have maybe burned a little streak or two in yer hallway, Sis…? S-sorry 'bout that? Eh-heh-heh-heh…heh?" Ryuko mumbled nervously, sniffing out into the hall to place the source of the burning wood and rubber odors that were just now wafting in.

"Ah, yes. Of course. _Again_. How lovely, imouto." Satsuki intoned, eyes dulled to the situation at hand. Her chastisement of Inumuta's disrespectful actions could not proceed as planned; the fearsome, authoritative aura she normally projected having apparently just been relegated to that of a fluffy kitten, Ryuko scratching her head affectionately as she murmured a litany of apologies about the scorch marks still smoldering on the floor.

"We shall convene at a later date, Inumuta, to continue our conversation, yes?" Satsuki mumbled, half-heartedly trying to project the adamantine image of ' _Lady Kiryuin Satsuki_ – _Supreme Overlord'_ while knowing deep down that her currency was now relegated to the level of ' _Satsy - The Big Sister Who Lived to be Embarrassed'_.

Inumuta bowed slightly, perfectly aware of the touchy situation yet unwilling to risk poking fun at the Kiryuin hornets' nest just yet…at least, not here, of course. "I extend to you my own humble invitation to visit our laboratory; you simply _must_ see this process in action. It is quite fascinating to witness!" he gushed, gesturing at the teacup in Satsuki's hands as his eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Oi. Wha'cha doin', Sats?" Ryuko exclaimed, wrapping her arms playfully around her big sister's arm as she rolled a curious eye towards the kitchen counter. "Is it more techy work crap bein' brought here to bore us all again?"

Satsuki regarded Ryuko with all the enthusiasm of an interrupted priest at a sermon. "Quite the opposite, dear sister. Inumuta was kind enough to present a most thoughtful gift. This happens to be a most preciou-"she stated before being suddenly cut off by the exaggerated squeal of her hyperactive teen sibling.

"Gasp! Why, it's a… _TEACUP_! I can't believe he would do such a thing! Hōka, how did you KNOW she would like such an _original_ gift! You are _so_ clever!" the fiery haired girl crowed, smirking with glee as Inumuta and Satsuki exchanged sullen glances and then proceeded to synchronize eyerolls.

"It's more than just _that_ , you bubble-headed twit!" Satsuki spat out, annoyed at her kin's perpetual lack of decorum. Ryuko paused, and her lower lip jutted out as she faux-sniffled and dolefully murmured "Okay…okay, I'm sorry about the floor thing, sis. Jeez. Here, I'll make it up to you! Ryuko's super speedy tea service: go- _go_ - _GO_!"

She hastily snatched the prized cup from Satsuki's palms and turned to bolt towards the stove when Satsuki lashed out, gripping her sister's wrist with cobra-esque quickness. "Dammit to hell, Ryuko! You need to be careful! That cup is not just—you don't _understand_!" Satsuki blurted, panic rising in her voice.

"Fuckin' hell, sis! I know how to make tea _too_ , ya know! I'm not that incompetent! _Rrrrrrr-_ let **go** , ya' flippin' control freak!" Ryuko snarled, straining mightily against her sister's trembling white-knuckle grasp.

Inumuta gasped, standing up while trying to calculate the best method for defusing the potential disaster looming before him. "Transf- _MATOI_! Please, just stop! That, that…" he sputtered, earning a sharp rebuke from Ryuko's gritted teeth. " _Shaddap_ , ya geek! _Transfer Student Matoi_ don't need your stinkin' 'help' either!"

" _Matoi Ryuko_! Give me that cup at once! I command it!" Lady Satsuki barked, wavering between steaming rage and frosty fear at the prospect of her recently resurrected heirloom being crushed once more.

Ryuko bristled at the harshness of the order, and yanked hard as her anger flared and boiled over. " _Command_? Why, I'll give _you_ a command, you…tea-addicted-HA- ** _HA_**!" she triumphantly shouted as her hand slipped from Satsuki's desperate clutches…and three pairs of eyes watched helplessly the cup sailed from her fingers and straight out the kitchen door.

Satsuki watched the tea cup arc over and out the door and into the hallway in agonizingly slow motion, frenzied shouts and clamoring shushed to a dull background static. Had she a kamui to enhance her pitifully slow human reaction times, she would willingly strain her flesh to the breaking point to stop this. Instead, she mentally prepared a verbal guillotine, atom-thin sharp for the wretched neck of one Matoi Ryuko, vagabond drifter and careless destroyer of precious heirlooms.

* * *

Something was amiss. Everyone in the room was unconsciously aware of it, but no one was willing to examine the evidence in greater detail. Inumuta Hōka: raving and gesticulating madly, his triumphant handiwork lost to an immature gutter spawn's moment of callous recklessness. Kiryuin Satsuki: silently fuming, the arc of her frown turned down so frighteningly far it mirrored her eyebrows' dense anger-induced concavity. Matoi Ryuko: caught in the crossfire of varying accusations, shouts, obscene gestures and that _Kiryuin Stare of Death_ , wallowing in confusion as she tried in vain to connect just how her playful, silly actions led to this level of derision.

Satsuki steeled herself, preparing to launch her first devastating admonishment salvo upon her sister's fortified position when a horrifyingly loud, piercing whistle jarred everyone into clapping hands over their suddenly-stinging ears. Wincing gingerly, all three verbal combatants slowly turned to the door.

Tea cup swirling lazily by the handle around a diminutive pink-nailed finger, Jakuzure Nonon withdrew her other fingers from around her tongue, smirking merrily whenever she had a chance to unleash her famous ' _Noisy Band Trip Eardrum Buster_ ( _騒々しいバンドトリップ鼓膜バスター_ )' sonic attack.

"Ah, you know…I don't get a chance to use a C# 7 note much in everyday life, ladies and gentleman. So I'm obliged. My sincere apologies if it was a bit loud, Lady Satsuki… _Dog_ … _transfer student_. That being said… _what the_ _hell_ _are you people doing?!_ " Nonon shouted nasally as she sauntered into the kitchen.

"I had hoped we were still on for lunch today, Lady Satsuki…but if you wanted me to make your tea, you just have to give me more notice than _this_." she snidely remarked as the precious cup was placed once more into Satsuki's imperceptibly shaking hands.

"Ah. Of course. A _breaking_ sound! _That's_ what was missing…" Inumuta quietly mumbled, mostly to himself as he tapped a brief note into his tablet. Ryuko stood off to one side, absentmindedly rubbing the back of her neck as she tried to stay still enough to maybe…disappear for causing such an embarrassing ruckus? ' _I was just playing around, dammit. What the heck kind of snooty high-society rule did I break_ _now_ _?_ ' she grumpily pondered, watching in muted fascination as Satsuki's mien transformed from murderous to joyful before her very eyes.

"Nonon! You have…no idea what you just _saved_ —" Satsuki breathlessly choked as she rushed forward, enveloping her old friend in a warm, heartfelt embrace. Nonon was taken aback by such uncharacteristically friendly behavior, shooting suspicious glares at Inumuta and Ryuko as she warily patted Satsuki on the back.

"What did you miscreants do to put her in such a state? I swear, did.. _did she get into the wine again? I thought we had an agreement, guys?_ Don't worry, Lady Satsuki, I'll handle these two irresponsible slackers!" Jakuzure hissed venomously as Inumuta straightened up to address the perceived insult.

"Listen ' _Honey, I Shrunk the Conductor_ ', such a scenario was _not_ the case!" Hōka spat, firmly pressing his glasses up as he addressed the caustic bandleader. " _I_ was merely presenting a heartfelt tribute to our most esteemed eminence…when the impetuous actions of this…' _abandoned child'_ nearly ruined it all!" he volunteered, extending an outstretched palm towards Ryuko.

"Hey! I…what are-I didn't mean to…how dare you…you _silicon suck-up_! I'mma make you eat that fucking tablet!" she bellowed, simultaneously stung by his accusation and deeply offended by the snide reference to her name's hidden, alternate meaning. "I'll show you the _real_ meaning of ' _meteor_ _child_ ', you insensitive prick!", her fists shaking with naked rage.

* * *

" _Enough_."

The word hung there, message trapped in crystal cold intonation. Satsuki straightened herself, brushed off her sleeves and affixed Nonon with a gentle gaze. Placing both hands upon Jakuzure's arms, she allowed a warm smile to spread across her face as she explained. "I owe you, dear friend. You have managed to save my most favorite tea cup from another imminent destruction."

" _Nani sore_? Another...what? How many favorite tea cups did you _have_ , anyways?" she squawked, indignant that she could not quite connect the dots.

Satsuki held the tea cup aloft, turning it gently in her fingers as she proudly addressed the room. "This…is _the_ original, perfectly resurrected in a most remarkable manner by Hōka's research team. Words cannot describe how proud I am of your achievements, all of you. I mean this both in light of these events, and in reference to our time working together for the good of humanity. Truly, I could not possibly be more blessed to have by my side such honorable and noble comrades…such…dear friends."

The sentiment of her words was weightier than expected, and its recipients were unsure exactly what to think. Ryuko rocked back and forth on her bald sneakers, awkwardly staring intently at every single object in the room except for anyone else's face. Inumuta held his breath, daring not to even enter his thoughts into his tablet for fear of tripping an unseen emotional claymore. Nonon cocked her head slightly, regarding Satsuki's beaming visage with a small, nervous chuckle.

"You _sure_ you haven't had any late morning wine there, my Lady? You're sounding positively… _oh, I don't know_ …sentimental? But maybe it's just from where my eyes are, way down here. I _could_ be wrong." Nonon reached over and plucked the cup from the young Kiryuin's hands and placed it upon the table, still not entirely convinced that alcohol wasn't somehow the impetus for such a speech.

A laugh-shout erupted from within Satsuki's chest, startling everyone, and she sighed, a relaxed smile blooming on her face. "Oh, _fuck it_." she stated in a low voice as she grabbed Nonon and squeezed, powerful arms hoisting the pink-haired terror up to her level.

"You are my oldest, dearest friend, and I owe you _so much_! Nonon, please don't call me 'Lady' anymore. Just Satsuki. Please? That goes for both of you. I am your commander no longer, so please retire such honorifics."

Known moments when the angry pink tornado known as Jazukure Nonon was verified to be truly speechless could have been counted on the fingers of dead witnesses. The number of living witnesses, however, just increased by three as her mouth tried to form words and instead projected a passable impression of a candy-colored fish, gasping for last breaths.

Satsuki gave her a brief, final hug and set her down. She extended her hand to Inumuta, as she patted Nonon on the back, coaxing her gently out of dazed shock. "Inumuta…Hōka, please accept my deepest thanks. For everything. I am truly indebted to you for all your dedication and ingenuity."

He cautiously offered his hand, a nervous smile briefly flashing as a mumbled "O-of course. It was, and is, my honor to serve. With you and for you, Lad- _er–ahem_ \- S- _Satsuki_." She took his hand and gripped it firmly, shaking his hand as she murmured "Thank you, my _friend_."

* * *

Ryuko quietly coughed, hands both crammed deep within her jacket's pockets as she leaned into the kitchen's corner. Feigning intense interest in the stove's knobs, she muttered to herself as she checked over the range's surface for any specks she might busy herself with cleaning. Finding none, she briefly wondered if it would be possible to see herself out of the room undetected during such a nauseatingly sentimental moment, and idly searched for a large cardboard box to attempt such a feat of stealth.

"Ryuko! Do I not recall that you had a favor to ask of Nonon?" Satsuki's voice boomed out, and she winced as she turned to the three figures, barely squeaking a reply to the affirmative. ' _A glowing neon exclamation point just appeared over my head! Fuck!_ ' Ryuko thought idly to herself as she mumbled a response.

"Um…I think so? I guess…maybe I wanted to ask for some…uh…help with some guitar stuff. I mean…I guess I _did_ say that, at one point?" the young girl stuttered, heat from her blast-furnace face certain to trigger the kitchen's fire suppression system at any moment. _'That would be a heck of a diversion, yeah?_ ' Ryuko thought to herself as the pint-sized musician strutted over to confront her.

"What do you want from me now, lazy ass? Did you forget how to tune to dropped-D again?" she snorted, thoroughly enjoying the sight of a squirming, flustered Ryuko before her.

"No, of course not! Jeez, I'm not that stupid! I just wanted help with figuring out how to pull off better arpeggios, like that Blackmore guy does in that old Deep Purple song you made me listen to. I can't get them to sound smooth enough. Th-that's all!" Ryuko pouted, arms crossed as she rested in defense of the musical cross-examination.

Nonon's jaw slackened. "B- _Better_ arpeggios? Bull _shit_ , I'll bet you haven't gotten past the riff for ' _Smoke on the Water_ ' yet, you lying slacker! There's no way you're doing…you're seriously playing ' _Highway Star'_? The fucking _solo_ part? It's been, what, not even a _week_ since you kept busting those strings trying to play at all? You want me to believe _that_? Give me a break, underachiever!"

Ryuko puffed out her chest, stabbing her calloused fingers in front of the bandleader's doubting gaze. "Hey, short-shit! I've been playing my ass off! You said you would only help me if I practiced rock stuff you said was 'classically inspired', so I _did_! Don't you go back on your promise! I held up my end of the bargain…you do the same!"

Nonon tapped her chin thoughtfully, murmuring "Yeah…hmm, let's see now…those are rigid arpeggios played across a familiar Bach progression—Dm, Gm, Cmaj, Amaj. Okay. I know of some exercises that can probably make that transition easier. That's some real upper-level stuff. Huh. _I still can't believe you_ …okay! _Fine_. I can stop by tomorrow night… _music_ student Ryuko? Maybe, if you _impress_ me enough, I'll bring you downtown to Nippon Budokan and show you where Deep Purple played, right here in Japan."

Arms akimbo, Ryuko blew her red streak up and away from her downturned face as she sized up Nonon's change in attitude. "I'm not lying, you know. I'm, like, a quick study in certain things. Like, the playing was hard and stuff…but a few days ago, something just…I dunno, clicked in my head and it became a whole lot easier. I mean, it helps that I have such impressive strength in these awesome fists of mine, yeah?"

Ryuko tightened and opened her fist in front of Nonon, and her knuckles popped and groaned from the sheer power coursing through iron fingers.

"Uh…yes, hand strength _is_ certainly important to a guitarist. That is true. Good. Yep!" She observed, perhaps a bit more jauntily than she meant. "But I'll be looking forward to seeing you actually pull off that level of playing. That really _is_ impressive, you know…pretty advanced stuff. There's some Kiryuin talent in your blood after all, Ryuko."

She smartly saluted Ryuko with her ever-present conductor's baton, sighing quietly to herself as she turned to sit down "Ah well, at least it's not like it's the fricking _Ramones_ or anything…"

Nonon was physically jerked up abruptly, a growling steel crane hoisting her back up to Ryuko's level. "What. Did. You. Just. Say… _pipsqueak_?" rumbled out of Ryuko's gritted teeth as her chin jutted out in seething rage.

"Ryuko! Release her this instant!" Satsuki snapped, grimacing as she moved to grab Ryuko's arm, feeling muscles of solid titanium not budging even one millimeter at her efforts.

"Eh, ah…what, th-the R-Ramones? They wrote some _-ah-_ very catchy tunes…! That's certainly what I meant…wh-what else could I mean…right, Ryuko?" Nonon sputtered as she swung freely from the fearsome Matoi's incredible grip.

"Do I shit on your Mozart?" Ryuko queried in a somewhat sinister tone. Pink head twitching back and forth in jerky dismissal, Nonon held her breath as Ryuko snarled "…then don't shit on my Ramones, 'kay?" and then gently placed Nonon back on terra firma. Ryuko then leaned over and whispered in Nonon's ear "…or I might have to beat on the brat. _With a baseball bat_."

"Ha! Ha-heh-eh…g-good one, kid" the Jakuzure heiress chirped weakly as Satsuki angrily smacked her younger sibling's arm. " _Matoi_! Do  not threaten my friends with physical harm in my own abode! You should be _ashamed_!"

Ryuko robotically looked down at the spot that was struck by her sister, then casually looked straight into her elder's angry blue eyes as she evenly stated "Then don't allow your friends to constantly denigrate and disrespect me in _my_ own abode. _You_ should be ashamed."

A tear snuck its way down Ryuko's cheek, startling Satsuki into gasping. "Ya think I don't feel these things? These comments about my birth, my upbringing? Contrary to popular belief, I remember _every_ little jab, and actually _do_ comprehend them. I am _aware_ of the duality inherent in the multiple interpretations of my somewhat unfortunate moniker, given to me when I was… _oh, yeah_ fucking _abandoned_."

"Yes, I am _aware_ that I wasn't the best student. I was too busy getting the unholy shit beaten out of me _every fucking day_ for _years_ to really _achieve_ much…why? For having a red streak in my damned hair. For never being able to prove to anyone that I had a f-father that actually c-cared about me. F-for…"

Ryuko shrugged. "I'm pretty numb to it, ya know. By now, I'd have to be, I guess. I just wish I could live here without having to put up with that elitist sniping shit being constantly slung at me, ya know? Oh wait, you were the _Elite Four_.' Better that I never forget _that_ little fact…right, guys?"

* * *

The noise of a pin dropping would have shattered the utter silence that now permeated the kitchen. Three bodies, frozen in shock…plus one, seething in perfectly concealed anger. Nonon breathing shallowly, unable to even meet Ryuko's gaze. Inumuta, eyes cast down at the floor in abject shame. Satsuki, fingers tightly clenched to her chin, tears welling up in her cloudy gaze as she fumbled to discover the words to somehow comfort her dear, sweet imouto-chan.

Ryuko broke the silence, letting out a huff that did nothing to hint at the car-fire intensity of her heart's aching. She stuck her hands deep into her jacket's pockets, her shoulder deftly avoiding Satsuki's outstretched hand.

"Just…don't, Sats. Not right now." She moved to the kitchen door, then stopped, her black and crimson mop of hair obscuring all but the outline of her jaw. "Nonon, I'll see you tomorrow…" she grunted hoarsely, hearing only a quietly squeaked 'Uh-huh…" as a response.

"Hōka, I'll catch you next week for that fiber sample harvesting. I didn't forget. I know it's important. Tuesday okay for you?" Ryuko casually asked. Inumuta offered a business-like response of "Certainly. I'll make a note of it", hoping his voice didn't sound too thick with guilt.

"Right then, I'm out. Satsuki…onee-san…I'll be back sometime tonight, probably. Don't worry about me. I just have to…settle down." Satsuki rushed over as Ryuko started to move down the hall. "Please, Imouto…wait for just one moment, _please_!" The earnest urgency of the phrase being the only thing to give Ryuko brief pause, she stopped in her tracks, not turning to face her sister in the hallway.

"I'm… _not_ mad at you. Please believe me, sis. I just…it _gets_ to me sometimes and I gotta…go and punch trees or something. Just let me go do my thing and I'll be back to being your lovable goofball dope of a sister in no time, o-okay?" Her unstoppable street-tough voice cracking at the last moment, it was no longer a perfect act as Satsuki could hear the sobs quietly burbling inside Ryuko's chest.

"Ryuko…you are not a goofball or a dope. You are the most beautiful thing that ever happened to me. I love you, and I am so very sorry if you are hurting right now. Please, let me find a way—"

Ryuko spun around, putting her palms up defensively as a clear sign to stay away. "Yeah…and _you_ , Kiryuin Satsuki? You are the m-most beautiful thing that ever _happened_." Hands trembling, she backed away as Satsuki started weeping, motioning weakly towards her sibling to come closer, to come back, to not run away. "A-and I love you so much it hurts. But I _have_ to blow this off _right fucking now_. Or I m-might do things that no _human_ could ever love." Droplets splashing against burned streaks in wood, she let out a strangled snort as she pointed at the hallway's sneaker-inflicted damage. "I'll f-fix this. I promise."

Satsuki gasped as she felt the briefest brush of trembling lips, pressing up against hers. Her hands moved to caress Ryuko's hair, but found naught but empty air. A whisper of " _I love you so much, nee-san_ " whooshed away from her as the Doppler effect swiftly changed its intonation.

A blurred afterimage of Ryuko sped through the mansion's front door, the huge fortress door's loud _slam_ creating an echoing boom throughout the hall. She heard a faint cry just then, muted but clear. "I'll fix this, I swear!"

Satsuki wiped at her tears, letting out a gentle rush of air as she whispered "No, dear. _We_ will fix this. This, I swear."

* * *

The Kiryuin heir trudged back into the kitchen, emotionally spent. Head throbbing, she rubbed her temple as her guests moved to assist. Hōka slid a glass of water to Satsuki's front as Nonon gently eased her into a kitchen chair, then produced two ibuprofen tablets from her pink clamshell purse.

"I am only useful as a warrior." She bluntly stated to no one in particular. Nonon and Hōka glanced uneasily at one another, the sudden show of Satsuki's weakness an uncomfortable, alien presence in the room.

Nonon patted her shoulder gently, her arm curled around the tall woman's neck as she offered her own opinion. "You know that just isn't true, Satsuki. You are wonderful in everything you do!" Satsuki picked up the ibuprofen pills, swallowed them with a sip of water then turned to look wearily at Nonon.

"I don't need fucking yes-men right now, Jakuzure. I need help. Honest advice. I cannot foster such an oppressive environment for my sister. She deserves better. She has _earned_ it with her pain, her tears and her blood. I need to be a better… _everything_ for her."

Nonon winced, stung by the bitter words. "But, I'm not…I truly _mean_ that, Satsuki. For as long as _I_ have known you? I have witnessed you conquer  any damned obstacle in your way. You are unbelievably talented, you know? You just need to find out what it is, then master it. It's what you _do_."

Hōka spoke up, inputting his own personal data. "This is true. You have completely conquered so _many_ different things in your life: a multitude of accomplishments that most people couldn't hope to even aspire to given twice the time. It is your undeniable will, your _resolve_ …this is your path to victory. It always has been!"

Satsuki cradled her head in her upturned hands, staring at an imaginary point many light years away. "I don't imagine that my resolve will win out, if the battle is an affair of the heart. I have no experience whatsoever in such a domain, and in fact I am convinced that I'm…poisoned against it."

It was Nonon's turn to arch a single eyebrow quizzically. Something about Satsuki's language was…odd. She couldn't quite perceive it, but there it was, flitting just out of her reach. "Look, Satsuki, your bratty sister will come around. She's just angry. It's _our_ fault, really. We just keep needling her about her past, and…well… _we_ are the real assholes here."

She punctuated her comment by swiftly kicking Inumuta in his shin. "AH! **_Yes_**! Thissssonofa _bitch_ is true, regrettably. We have been rude and disrespectful towards Matoi. We must learn to accept her and treat her as one of our own." One of his eyelids twitched involuntarily as he glared silently at the venomous musician. The irritated hacker made a mental note to soon change all of Jakuzure's online media profile pictures to that of a baboon's bright red ass, a sparkling pink conductor's cap jauntily Photoshopped on top.

Satsuki's weary gaze fell upon his, dark circles under her eyes setting a sinister tone as she murmured "There's more to it than _that_ …Hōka. You, of all people, should know this." His pupils' sudden dilation was the only indicator that her carefully barbed words struck uncomfortably close to home. _'Oh, I hope they don't starch the hospital bed's sheets too much. Ohfuckohfuckohfuck I would hate that'_ he frantically thought as Satsuki continued to stare unblinkingly towards his own pale face.

Nonon wrinkled her lips back, squinting at Satsuki, then Hōka and back again. "What's going on here? Dog, what the fuck did you _do_? Did you fucking bury your snout where you weren't welcome _again_? You shithead!" she spat as her fist drew back, aiming for his pointy nose.

Satsuki's hand stopped Nonon's fist from launching, dismissing her friend's anger with a tired wave. "It's not _his_ fault. It's mine. I have acted…rashly. Spurred on in part by information that, while entirely accurate, was nonetheless handled somewhat inappropriately by myself. This situation was caused by my own stupidity, Nonon. I did something without properly considering the ramifications and I…" Satsuki sighed as she raised one weary eyebrow in Hōka's direction. "You really are too damned good at your job for your own good, Inumuta. You crafty weasel."

"Th-thank- _wait_. I have _no_ idea what is going on, now. Someone needs to explain how I was involved in this?" Hōka stumbled over his words; nothing upset him more than being uncertain, with no solid data to dictate his actions. His mind data-crunching at a rapid pace, he still had no conclusive leads as to precisely how this particular puzzle fit together. Something about his data collection…somewhere in there was a clue as to why Satsuki was acting like a…an angst-ridden, _love-sick_ teenager?

 _'_ _Oh…shit. It can't be. Data supports the hypothesis, yet…statistically, the chances were quite low…could it have actually_ _happened_ _?'_ Hōka thought to himself as he ventured further into the hazardous jungle, desperate for more data.

"I have been nothing but _cooperative_ with Matoi. Her assistance is crucial to my research work! I assure you, I would not risk offending her…unless I was perhaps pushed into doing so by circumstance. Certainly you understand…?" he groveled, feeling the quicksand slowly reach his zippered neck.

"Assistance…oh, with the aforementioned 'fiber sample harvesting', you mean? What _was_ that referring to, exactly? I _hope_ that isn't what it sounds like, Inumuta…" Satsuki intoned sharply, a deadly serious comment that demanded an immediate and accurate response.

Inumuta nervously adjusted his eyeglasses, fidgeting under the baleful glare of two ominously staring (and known to be utterly vicious at times, he reminded himself) young women. "That…is an agreement that was reached between Matoi Ryuko and REVOCS' own R & D division. We asked, she agreed. I assure you, there is _nothing_ immoral or otherwise deceitful about what we do. She provides minute life fiber samples, and we use them for research. _Only research_. She is, after all, the _only_ source of active fibers left on this planet. They grow back, and she is well compensated for her time and effort."

"In fact, she stands to profit quite handsomely from the patent residuals on the technology we are developing from the research she is making possible. Matoi was contractually set up to receive a rather _substantial_ percentage of the profits we-"

Nonon's foot darted up, stopping within a hair's breadth of his neck. "How much, you leech?" Hōka grabbed her foot and expertly flung it away, sending her hopping away off-balance while cursing his speed under her breath. "By my projected estimates? _Enough_. Probably enough to buy out your family's shipping company via a hostile takeover if she was so inclined…so perhaps _you_ should watch your _own_ self around her, _Lady_ Jakuzure."

Satsuki turned to Hōka, melancholy making itself plainly clear upon her delicate features. "Why? Why didn't she ever mention this to us? To me? Care to explain, Hōka?"

He shrugged weakly. "We were under non-disclosure terms as part of the contract…which I just apparently broke, regrettably. She was also _quite_ clear that I was to never personally breathe a word of this to anyone outside the lab. She was very specific. Ryuko, for reasons I can only speculate on, does not want anyone to know that she is already comfortably wealthy…and stands to become exponentially richer in the next few years."

* * *

Troubled blue eyes staring off into space, Satsuki casually shrugged. "Regardless of her reasoning, this has no bearing on what _I_ have done. I must find a way to fix this. But, I have _no_ expertise with this…none! I am incapable of…of…" Tears flowed freely now, indefatigable dictator aura be damned. She was not the 'Steel Queen' warrior/general right now, embroiled in a daring gambit to save the planet; she was just a troubled young woman, nursing a hopelessly mangled soul and harboring a sexual deviancy that potentially threatened to destroy her last shred of loving family.

"No, no, Sats, please don't do this…it's not that bad!" Nonon whined, looking to Hōka for clues, advice, help, hell…anything at this point. She was somewhat chagrined that Hōka was just standing there like a dumb mutt, staring at his tablet like it contained some hint at Satsuki's salvation.

She whispered angrily "Hōka, what the ever living _fuck_? Get your nose out of that thing and _help me_!" Nonon watched as Hōka slowly took off his glasses, a somber expression washing over his face.

He put down his glasses and tablet, tossed aside with uncharacteristic abandon. He stood in front of Satsuki, looking down with a subdued, quiet gaze. Satsuki slowly looked up to meet his glance, and her eyes leaked streams of guilt as Hōka dragged a stool over next to her and gently took one of her limp hands.

Acting with unusual candor, Hōka delicately squeezed her hand as he stated with quiet but certain deliberateness "I…think I may know just what might be going on here. I didn't see the signs until just now. Satsuki? Please look at me for one moment. I do not wish to upset you, but we need to operate with a full data set if we are to assist you accurately. So please…tell me. When did it happen?"

Nonon reflexively bit her lip, seconds away from punching Doggy's callous head in when she was startled to hear a sniffled response. "It was…a few weeks ago. It just… _happened_. We were…talking about some p-personal things and she…I mean, it's complicated…ah…there was perhaps some drinking involved…one thing led to another and w-we…we had _sex_."

Nonon's coiled fist went from barreling into Hōka's skull and was redirected straight up to her own gasping maw. "You…did _what_? N-not with…y-you banged _Ryuko_?" Hōka's eyes widened as he fired a laser-beamed look of ' _shutthefuckupyouidiot_ ' towards Nonon.

Satsuki begrudgingly nodded a brief acknowledgement as her heart palpitated painfully in her ribs. This turn of events was completely blowing Nonon's pink little mind…but she couldn't help but notice how fucking _serene_ Hōka was acting in the presence of such volatile and carnal knowledge.

Eyes slitted with anger, she stabbed a sharp index fingernail at Hōka. "You… _knew_ about this?" she accused, voice dripping with acid. His free hand raised up slowly, outwardly turned palm making painful contact with the threatening nail.

"You would do well to realize that you are sidewinding through dangerous waters, little snake. You may try to harm me as you wish _later_ , but please defuse yourself now…for _her_ sake. _She_ needs _us_ more than _you_ need to take your misguided anger out on _me_. Please?" he pleaded gently, withdrawing his hand to offer much-needed comfort for Satsuki's crumbling psyche.

Nonon looked down at her childhood friend, who was weeping hysterically at this point. "Oh God, Satsuki! It's okay! It'll be okay!" she moaned as she knelt down, soothing the young woman's sob-racked shoulders. "Oh, fuck, Hōka. _Fuck!_ What are we gonna _do_? How can we help her?"

He fixed Nonon's panicking expression with a resolute gaze, stating "We shall administer proper amounts of support, friendship and caring…the rest should be easy."

* * *

The tearful hurricane subsided, eventually petering out to a series of intermittent sniffles and deep sighs. Nonon hugged Satsuki from the side, stroking her shoulder as the young Kiryuin coughed self-consciously and shakily rose from her stool. "I apologize for my outburst. Please forgive me." she stated quietly, vacantly staring in the general direction of her cohorts but avoiding direct eye contact all the same.

"Ah…n-no worries, okay? Sometimes you just have to…let it all out, right?" Nonon smirked wryly, gently squeezing the tall woman's shoulder. Satsuki shrugged, a barely imperceptible jerk mostly hidden under her blouse. "I haven't a clue. I've never really done that before. I just…did not have the wherewithal to control it this time."

"What do you mean…you've never _cried_ before? Oh, come on…" Nonon's nasal voice lilted in disbelief as her smile first widened, then wilted as Satsuki's hard stare confirmed the fact wordlessly.

"I have…wept, at times, when the circumstances were in place. Being punched in the nose induces an involuntary response of tears, of course. I have, on rare occasion, been moved to the verge of a somewhat tearful moment or two when perusing some of the finer works in the Louvre. Rembrandt, in particular, instills within me a certain intimacy…paintings in which the artist surveyed himself without vanity and with the utmost sincerity. Something I aspire to, personally. But…no. I have not _ever_ broken down like this. My… _mother_ …would have whipped me mercilessly for behaving like some…shameful, simpering, _weak_ — _FOOL_!"

Her fist slammed down angrily onto the counter, rattling the various pots and pans hanging from above. Satsuki grimaced and bared her teeth, fists clenching into marble-knuckled clubs.

Inumuta piped up, consulting his tablet as he spoke. "Biologically speaking, crying _does_ serve a number of valuable purposes. It's a release. There is a buildup of energy with negative feelings, and it is detrimental to keep such energy contained for extended periods of time. On top of that, crying also may have a biochemical purpose. It's believed to release stress hormones or toxins from the body…"

Nonon calmly placed a hand on Satsuki's balled fist, looking up into her eyes as she gently urged "But…do you feel better now? Now that you have _–ahem-_ released some of that stress? How's your head?" Satsuki squinted, searching the little pink viper's face for evidence of hidden taunting, but only observing placid, earnest concern instead.

"My…head? Well, my stress headache _has_ eased up, I suppose. Some of that is certainly attributable to the pain relievers I took earlier, of course..." Nonon rolled her eyes, and said "Ah, yes, of _course_ …but how do you actually _feel_? Better…here?" She gently tapped the young Kiryuin's chest, motioning towards an aching heart.

Satsuki sighed ruefully. "Yes, I will admit to feeling better. Relieved, perhaps? It feels as though a great weight has been removed, if only for a short while. I…appreciate you both taking the time to…assist me in my time of abject stupidity."

Nonon's face screwed up into a pouting ball of trembling frustration. She stomped through the kitchen, located an oven mitt and proceeded to march up to Satsuki and gently pop her on the head with it. "Wh-what on Earth was _that_ for, Nonon?" Satsuki asked, perplexed by such a silly gesture.

"Well, it's not like I can haul back and _slug_ you, Satsuki… _even though you deserve it_!" the small woman shrieked. She grabbed Satsuki's arms, jostling her slightly as if to punctuate every statement. " This isn't _stupid_!  You are not stupid! Stop beating yourself up! I'm sick of hearing this misguided self-deprecation! _Stupidity_ is when you are a complete moron, unable to figure out even the simplest of things! What you are is _ignorant_! You simply do not possess the knowledge to deal with this particular situation! That's it! _I_ am ignorant when it comes to quantum physics! _Dog_ over here is ignorant when it comes to basic hygiene! _You_ just happen to be ignorant when it comes to…to—"

Nonon paused here, breathing hard after her tinny outburst while trying to carefully select the proper word to cap off her statement. ' _Family? Love? S-sex? Fuck, what is the aim here…?_ ' she mulled silently, the pause growing uncomfortably longer with each ticking second.

Satsuki gazed down upon her friend's troubled expression, mildly shocked at being on the first-ever receiving end of the famous ' _Jakuzure Verbal Barrage, Mk. I (_ _蛇崩口頭弾幕マーク_ _1_ _)'_ outburst that had been leveled upon others with frightening accuracy. She placed one hand upon Nonon's arm, squeezing gently as confirmation of a message, successfully received.

"Jakuzure Nonon. You are correct, of course. Your insight is, as always, precise…and delivered with an appropriate dose of venom. I shall not forget." Satsuki smirked, letting Nonon know that she withstood the tongue lashing, temper intact. "I _am_ truly ignorant in the ways of…love. I have never had a comfortable time with such sentiments, as I'm sure you know."

Nonon frowned. "Yeah, I do. I always had a vague idea that your home was not exactly the best place to be, but I wish there was more I could have done for you…stuck in that house with that fucking…creature from _hell_ …!"

Satsuki inspected her fingernails over and over, searching absently for distraction in their glossy reflection. "It is in the past, now…and I believe you are sorely underestimating the effect your presence had in my life, dear friend. Your companionship was…most welcome, even if I did not properly acknowledge it."

Pinkish eyes excitedly darted about the floor, as if they were searching for an imaginary precious jewel. Nonon rocked back and forth on her heels as she soaked up the praise; subtle though it may be, it still warmed her oversized ego.

She slowly stretched her lithe arms behind her, using the conductor baton as an impromptu brace. "Soooo, _as_ your friend, I have to ask…what are you going to do now? I mean…what do you _want_ to do about…y'know. Ryuko and…stuff? I mean, do you really want…ah, is she…does she make you…happy?"

Satsuki's countenance softened, strained features surrendering to a wistful expression as a halo of calm settled over her. She settled back upon the kitchen stool, mired deep in thought. "What do I…want? Ah. I want…Ryuko to be happy. I want to _be_ happy. I desire…true freedom. I don't wish to be the ' _Steel Queen_ ' anymore. _That_ woman's usefulness is at an end, I fear. Her lifelong mission is over, and she is woefully obsolete in this new age we have ourselves crafted. Regrettably, she cannot cope with this…she does not possess the proper expertise o-or the _resolve_ to…"

The young brunette shivered just then, and both Hōka and Nonon were left with chills as well at the surreal, alien sight of Lady Kiryuin Satsuki's slowly upturned face…tears slowly leaving wide-open orbs of naked, paralytic _fear_.

Hands outstretched uselessly in her lap, Satsuki breathlessly quavered "Sh-she's…so scared. So very _scared_. Of h- _hurting_ everyone she loves. Hurting is what she knows how to do…it's _all_ she knows, in fact. She trained herself so very hard, so very _well,_ to be brutally efficient at the act of hurting. Her life's mission, ambition, _obsession_ …was to hurt. Command. Terrorize. Bully. Dictate. Control. _Kill_. How is  she supposed to know how to…nurture? Care? L-love? _Who in their right mind would ever trust her with such precious things?_ "

* * *

"I would." Hōka's words resonated in the room, Satsuki's eyes widening a fraction more at the earnest nature of such a comment. "I have taken her measure quite carefully, and determined her to be a good person, a decent human being, and a selfless _hero_. And before anyone objects…no, I do _not_ use that word lightly." Hands clasped behind him, Hōka squared his shoulders and fixed the frightened Kiryuin with a resolute stare.

"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process _she_ does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you." Hōka crouched down and gently took both her hands into his own, squeezing limp fingers to emphasize the profoundness of his speech. " _You_ , Kiryuin Satsuki, have unflinchingly stared into an abyss that would undoubtedly shatter most beings…and have emerged triumphant. Not unscathed, true…but _not_ a monster, either. Of this fact, I am quite _certain_. I have staked my very life on it."

Green eyes squinting, he veered straight between a rock and a whirlpool, course purposefully set. " _Have_ you done evil acts? Yes, unquestioningly. _Are_ you evil, though? Your personal sacrifices speak for themselves…there is nothing you have not willingly suffered or endured for the greater good. You have purposely chosen to experience unimaginable punishments so that we all have a chance to live…hell, for us to have life _itself_ as an option _at all_!"

"You are not 'weak'. Relying on others is not _weakness_. It is the very essence of the human condition! ' _No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main'_. This ideal of 'weakness' that permeates your view is evidence of the poison that Ragyo willingly planted within you; to break you away from the 'main' that is the human race."

Hōka's voice grew in urgency. "Satsuki, weakness was purged from you long ago. No, you are _strong_ , and growing stronger still. You just need to learn to accept help from others….others that truly care about you and respect you. _This_ is the only part of your life where you will find that you are truly _ignorant_ …that there are _so many_ of us to rely on, yes? And if you choose _not_ to take advantage of these resources, made so willingly available to you? _Then_ you will truly be...stupid."

Inumuta's head swiveled casually towards Nonon, slyly murmuring out of the corner of his mouth " _Bury me with my tablet_. _This is my final request_."

Nonon let the tiniest of snorts issue from her nose, then swiftly punched his shoulder as she gleefully blurted "Pfft, oh _please_ , Doggy. It'll be nothing but melted ashes and slag…why bother, idiot? Also, when did you get so fucking poetic? Don't tell me you stick your snout in an actual dead-tree _book_ once in a while?"

Hōka sniffed dismissively. "All the world's masterpieces are available digitally, if you know where to look."

Satsuki quietly swallowed and cleared her throat, a beaming smile of gratitude cutting luminously through dark storm clouds. "Hōka, thank you so much for your kind words of wisdom. I…I don't know what to say. Truly, you possess a unique capacity for delving into the heart of any problem and laying out a sensible solution. I am truly honored to have you as a friend."

He shrugged modestly, deftly producing a handkerchief to allow Satsuki to wipe away her own tears. "A simple formula, really. Dogs are, after all, quite loyal. You, Kiryuin Satsuki, have been most kind and merciful towards my own self. I intend to repay your mercy a thousand-fold, if I am but presented with the opportunity to do so."

She dabbed away the last traces of moisture clinging to her patrician features. "I know now what I must do. I need to find a way to smooth things over properly with Ryuko if this love will last the test of time. Nonon, will you assist me with formulating a plan for accomplishing this? I would greatly appreciate some female insight into my…predicament."

Nonon shrugged, her hands nervously smoothing over her ruffled pink-hued skirt. "I-if it would make you.. _happy_ , I guess I don't really see a problem? Well, maybe I do. I mean, it _is_ a bit weird though, you know? Lusting after your own _sister_ …I don't know if _she's_ where you should look for love like that?" She glanced over to Inumuta, slyly maneuvering for backup with what could be perceived as somewhat…jealous eyes. "Surely _you_ agree…don't you, Doggy?"

Inumuta uttered a stern "Hmmf." He stalked over and stopped before Nonon, standing at full attention as he regarded the tiny musician with a critical eye.

"Here. Please allow me provide a brief glimpse into my own personal background for you to ponder, Lady Jakuzure. I associate with friends that desire to dress up as cartoon animals when they screw. I happen to have colleagues that were once born as male and are now most decidedly female. I work with close associates that yearn to be whipped into intense paroxysms of pain as they make love. You think a trifling detail such as _this_ would somehow offend _me_?"

Inumuta Hōka lowered his zippered collar with a lightning-quick _whiff_ as he nailed Nonon to the spot with carefully designed words. "I have this _friend,_ you see. She is attempting to heal from terrible injustices that were perpetrated upon her by cruel fate. _If_ she were to possibly find solace in the arms of another wounded soul, kin to her own? _If_ she were to somehow begin the long healing process from this lifetime of unfathomable sacrifices by making love and finding love in her sibling's arms? A sibling connection that no official law or document trail even _acknowledges_?"

Hōka leaned in close, deliberately pointing his snout at Nonon's incredulous expression. "I would be the first to raise a champagne flute to toast the triumph of _that_ love over the hate that waited for us on the other side of Ragyo's blades."

Inumuta silently cleaned his eyewear, smartly placing it upon his nose as he waited in tense anticipation of the short girl's vitriolic (and quite possibly violent) rebuke. He was, however, somewhat unprepared to witness Nonon's unexpectedly calm surrender instead.

"You're…right for once, Hōka. The rules don't apply here. N-not to those that have spent their lives defeating alien parasites and losing damned near their entire family…just to give everyone else the chance to love _theirs_ instead."

She turned to Satsuki, eyes brimming with watery regret. "Satsuki, I'm _so_ sorry. Please allow me to apologize. I…I need to help you, any way I possibly can. We all need to balance the scales, and I'll do anything I can to even them out for you. Okay?"

Nonon extended a hand out to her childhood friend, and Satsuki accepted it gratefully. "I, too, apologize. I did not expect this turn of events…but I can no longer deny my true heart's desire. I do love her so, Nonon."

Nonon smiled weakly, a sad, wistful expression ghosting over her face. "I gotta warn you, though. Love's a real bitch, you know? It sneaks up on you, and tricks you, and stabs you, and doesn't play fair."

Satsuki let out a quiet laugh. "I am learning that this is quite true. It is an intimidating thing to grapple with…and yet, it feels right. To label it for what it is."

Absentmindedly embracing herself as she idly looked away, Nonon shrugged and offered her wisdom to Satsuki. "Well…take my word for it. Love isn't something you can ever conquer or defeat. You just have to…deal with it as it comes. Okay?"

The young brunette nodded slowly, stating plainly "I…have a lot to learn. Thank you for being on my side. I am truly indebted to you, once again." Satsuki bowed low, her ramrod posture yielding to a giddy swell of hope.

Bolstered by the influx of loving support, the young Kiryuin found herself cheerily sporting a Cheshire grin that simply would not cease. She realized just then that she did not care one iota about what kind of message that it may send, it just felt so damned liberating to wear her heart on her sleeve for once.

The pink haired girl, cheeks now tinged with pink as well, smiled wanly. "We are all indebted to you way more, Lady Satsuki. None of us would be here right now without you. It's not fair, what you've had to deal with. It's just all so _fucked up_. You may have been robbed of your childhood, but hey…maybe we can arrange an awesome love life to make up for it, yeah?"

Nonon silently decided that she would be having a good, hearty cry amongst her mountain of stuffed animals later that night to mourn her own quietly breaking heart…but for now, tending to Satsuki's was far more important. Sacrifice was an important part of love, regardless of the sting it delivered to your soul…she recognized this much, at least.

Satsuki clapped her hands together, excitement peeking out through her steadfast demeanor. "I certainly hope this comes to pass! I will admit, I never once thought I would seek counsel from my very own Elite Four for something as innocuous as dating advice! But it is painfully obvious to me that I am an unskilled No-Star in _this_ particular arena."

Nonon cracked her knuckles, pushing her own feelings aside to tend to the present situation. "Well then, Satsuki…prepare to get your ass well and truly kicked! As a lowly white belt, you'll need to brush up on how other chicks think if you hope to survive Matoi Ryuko's field of emotional landmines! Inumuta! Prepare the tea…we have _work_ to do!"


	3. - Swords to Plowshares -

\- Swords to Plowshares -

The mansion was quiet. A hush of heated air from the floor vent was the only perceivable sound to Kiryuin Satsuki's ears, save for the occasional creak of an ever-settling house foundation. Shifting slightly on the couch, tingling legs complained as she huddled her blanket-swathed form closer to the well-worn copy of _Robin Hood_ in her hands.

Fingers slowly tracing the cover, she admired the delicate Louis Rhead artwork that depicted Robin Hood and Little John, locked in fierce staff combat. A tiny smile flickered across her otherwise somber expression, as a comical image of Gamagoori Ira dressed in Lincoln green attire floated into her mind's eye, his staff flailing as he valiantly protected the honor of fair Maid Mankanshoku.

Satsuki chuckled, and then sighed as the tide of her pensiveness washed back. "Friends fight. Lovers quarrel. These are facts. I must remember that is a normal thing to experience." the brunette whispered to herself, far-away eyes replaying the cacophony of battles she had witnessed in the not-too-distant past. Matoi Ryuko struggling against Sanageyama Uzu, swords clashing. Pitted against Gamagoori Ira, fiber against whip. Mankanshoku Mako's brass knuckle-clad fist crashing mercilessly against Ryuko's jaw.

T _his_ image in particular stung quite bitterly, as it depicted a betrayal engineered by her own sordid hand, shrewdly designed to destroy a genuine friendship…just to prove a point. Guilt chewed at her conscience internally as she found herself chewing at a thumbnail externally.

Disgusted, Satsuki placed the tome back into the bookshelf and cast her eyes across the other volumes she always turned to in times of stress.

Every book spied was briefly considered, and then passed over. The troubled heiress did not want to be reminded of interpersonal conflict at this particular point in time…yet these were the very kind of books she had thrived upon in her youth.

Satsuki realized at this point that her personal book collection didn't really contain any light or humorous fare that would serve to ease her mind right now…unless Sun Tzu's _The Art of War_ had recently been reissued as a children's pop-up book, she was going to have to look for distraction elsewhere.

Satsuki was startled by the sudden sound of the mansion's doorbell, chimes echoing in the evening's quiet. "Who on Earth could be here this late? Oh, this better not be a harbinger of bad news… _what if_ …!" she muttered, breaking into a swift jog as she raced to the main door. The servants had all been sent away for the week, so it was up to her to discover the identity of her visitor.

The head of the Kiryuin household apprehensively cracked the door open, and a wash of relief surged over her as she took in the image of Matoi Ryuko, arms tucked behind her as she stood at the entrance in silence.

"Ryuko! Hello! I was just wondering if I might get to see you this evening before I retired to bed…ah, why…did you ring the doorbell? You live here now, this is your home. Did you perhaps lose your keys…again?" Satsuki queried, her uplifted attitude offset slightly by the strangeness of Ryuko's oddly proper stance.

"Hello, Satsuki. No, I didn't lose my keys. I just wanted to be polite and act proper for once. You know, like a proper member of society should. Act proper. Properly. Like…this." Ryuko nodded towards the doorbell, and Satsuki slowly nodded in response.

"Of…course, dear. That is rather thoughtful of you. I appreciate the gesture, but you do not have to do that here. Please do come in, and I will prepare some tea…or perhaps some hot cocoa would be more to your liking, imouto?" The door opened wide, and Satsuki swept her hand dramatically towards the threshold, motioning her young sister to come inside.

Ryuko's eyes lit up, then darted away as she frowned slightly. "I would _love_ that, but I kinda need…um, I need to ask a favor of you first. It's important." She rocked back onto her heels nervously as Satsuki exclaimed "Of course! I will assist you in any way I can. What do you require, Ryuko?"

"Well, I kinda need help with _-ahem-_ a…splinter. I can't quite seem to remove it myself, and I _-ah-_ well…I'll need you to help with extracting it. I don't mean for ya to worry, but I didn't want to drip any blood on that poor floor, ya know…it's seen enough of _my_ fury lately. R-right, Sats? Heh-heh-heh-heh- _heh_ …?" Ryuko mumbled sheepishly.

Satsuki regarded her sister's somewhat silly countenance, then sighed as she clapped her hands together. "Of course, I will help you _wait_ -" She stopped abruptly, her sensitive ears picking up _plip-plik-plip_ sounds issuing from somewhere behind her sister's back.

Her slitted eyes searched Ryuko's somewhat pathetic ' _guilty eyes/smiling teeth_ ' combo as she started to wander around the younger girl to see what was causing this peculiar sound. To Satsuki's trained ear, it sounded eerily like…blood dripping down upon a concrete and slate doorstep. She sniffed, sensing something familiar, a slight…tang in the air.

Ryuko slowly turned her body towards Satsuki's inquisitive hunting, sputtering nervously "N-now just hooold on a minute, Sats! B-before you go doing that, let me just explain what happened first and I can prepare you for th- _URK_!"

Satsuki's hand snaked around and expertly grabbed Ryuko's hidden hand, yanking it out from behind her and dragging it into the main foyer's glow. A glistening stump of gore-soaked wood protruded from her sister's left hand, wedged tightly between her index and middle finger knuckles.

Ryuko's flesh bulged awkwardly, the grotesque lump outlining the vague shape of the splinter in bloodless white relief as it disappeared deep within her hand. Droplets of blood trickled out from around the protruding stump, splattering a tiny Jackson Pollock masterpiece on the mansion's steps.

Satsuki's eyes widened in utter shock, mouth contorted open in horror. " _Nanja korya?!_ M- MatoiRyuko _howdidthis_ _happen_ _! Did you wreck your bike?!"_ Ryuko abjectly mumbled "…punched a tree."

The elder Kiryuin blinked. "Ah…what, dear? I didn't catch that…you…did _what_ , exactly?" Ryuko hissed through her faux-smile "I. Punched. A. _Tree_."

Satsuki looked at the hand, then to her sister's face, then back to the hand. Head tilted ever so slightly, she slowly asked "Why did you do that, dear sister? Wait. That was a _serious_ comment earlier? When you said that you needed to go ' _punch some trees'?_ "

Ryuko immediately transformed the fake smile into a genuine grimace, groaning in pain as she growled as sweetly as she could possibly manage. "Why, Satsuki! I'll be _happy_ to go over all the details of my situation…if you could possibly arrange for a pair of pliers and a bucket? This actually hurts, like…for real. I kinda can't move my fingers, the hand bones are wedged together all funny? I mean, I can _sorta_ wiggle the little one, just enough to operate the clutch to shift, but uhh…I couldn't quite get enough of a grip on the stump with my teeth, the blood makes it all… _slippery_? And there's not enough wood sticking out here to really pry it out with a-"

Satsuki, suddenly having her fill of the awful, cartoonish images that were playing out in her head (Ryuko, nibbling and gnawing at her paw like a hapless mongrel, stopping briefly to furiously scratch at her ear with one foot), blurted out " _Dôshiyô, dôshiyô, dôshiyô_ …Okay! _Enough!_ Let's get this injury properly addressed, _oh Gods aloft_ , how does this stuff _happen_ to you? We shall…get you to a bathroom. Here, come with me immediately. There's one down the hall just a bit, right down here. Please come with me, my poor sweet imouto-san!"

Ryuko hesitatingly drew back her arm, stopping Satsuki's gentle corralling efforts. "Look, I really think we should do this in the garage, okay? That's where the pliers are, and I think there's a bucket under-"

"Absolutely _not_! That is a most unhygienic area, and we cannot run the risk of infection!" Satsuki indignantly admonished, rolling her eyes even as she squeezed Ryuko's shoulder to attempt some level of sisterly comfort.

Ryuko grumbled impatiently, teeth grinding loudly. "Oh, for fuck's _sake_ , Kiryuin! Remember who you are dealing with here? I do not bleed gently! You pull this stump out, there will be blood frickin' everywhere! Trust me, I do not have _low_ blood pressure. Remember when ' _Doctor Disconipples'_ Mikisugi first noted that my systolic and diastolic numbers were at what he called 'firehose' levels? I will need a _bucket_ for this, or else it will be like ' _Tokyo Gore Police: The Home Game_ ' in here! You want to clean up a goddamned crime scene in _here_? Ain't no mop-wielding servants around here now, as far as _I_ can tell?"

Her jaw tightening with determination and just a dash of frustration, Satsuki grabbed the wounded juvenile's arm and coaxed her towards the garage door, not wanting to waste any more precious time arguing with ' _Matoi Ryuko, Queen of the Stubborn Delinquents_ '.

* * *

Clearing off a space on the garage's jumbled workbench, Satsuki primly noted to herself ' _Ryuko still never cleans up her motorcycle projects in here, I see…what a big surprise!'_ She proceeded to grab a fistful of new shop towels out of their packaging and spread a few out upon the worktable's surface.

Noisily dragging a stool over to one side of the table, Satsuki wordlessly motioned her sister to sit, rushing afterwards to scavenge a suitable pair of pliers from Ryuko's toolbox.

Ryuko watched her sister dart around, gathering up the necessary equipment as she sat there wincing, hand throbbing in concert to her rapid heartbeat.

Though the pain was ferocious, she still managed to idly observe that Satsuki's butt was absolutely flawless: the sight of which caused Ryuko's heart rate to kick up just a fraction more as a result. _'She keeps bending over like that, there'll be blood shooting from my_ _nose_ _, too!'_ she wryly thought to herself, mischievous tongue tip peeking out from between peeled-back lips.

Skilled hands blurring in practiced harmony, Satsuki took a deep breath to center herself, steeling for the painful procedure that she was about to inflict upon her impulsive young sister. She then proceeded to issue directions with the rapid, controlled precision of a seasoned emergency paramedic.

"Matoi, here's what is going to happen: I am going to give you _this_ wooden dowel. You are going to bite down on it while I kneel down here and hold your hand over this plastic bucket. When I say, I am going to secure a firm grip with these pliers, then pull the splinter out in one movement. The moment the wood is removed, I will then proceed to douse your hand with a splash of _this_ denatured alcohol, then apply pressure to the wound with _this_ towel, see? Provided this goes well, I _should_ be able to get the bleeding under control quickly enough to then move you inside the house, where the first aid supplies are located…to allow for  proper dressing of the wound. Is this clear?"

Ryuko nodded wordlessly, not wanting to speak for fear of her voice betraying the level of pain she was in. Satsuki kneeled before her, pliers at the ready. "Now, imouto: when I do this, all I ask is that you please refrain from striking me, or otherwise hurling any heavy objects at a substantial velocity around the garage. Agreed?"

Ryuko shoved the thick dowel into her mouth, canines digging into the wood. "Mm, hmm." she hummed, patience already dissolving fast. Satsuki's hand then quickly caressed Ryuko's cheek as she said quietly "I apologize for hurting you in advance…as well for any pain I may have caused in the recent past. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Cheeks glowing red like candy apples, Ryuko nodded dismissively, eyes rolling around in an agitated fashion. "Juf geddon wif id, pweef?" she uttered from behind the dowel, drool already starting to collect in the corners of her mouth.

Satsuki blinked and smiled tersely, then an expression of stone concentration took over as she proceeded to spread shop towels over the floor and Ryuko's thighs. Sliding one hand up to firmly grasp Ryuko's forearm, she kneeled to one side and precisely maneuvered the pliers over the embedded wood's maroon-soaked edge. She breathed in steadily, then met eyes with her sibling, watching for signs of a panicked retreat.

Seeing only the briefest of nods from Ryuko's sweaty head, Satsuki steadily exhaled, then whispered into her trembling sister's ear "Okay, here we go. On three…all right? One, two, _three_." She then yanked out the offending foreign object in one steady movement, removing it as gracefully as she would unsheathe an ebon blade from a pale scabbard.

Ryuko tensed up, jaw stiffening as she grunted a string of unintelligible curses into a now-creaking dowel. Neck and forehead pulsing a dark maroon, sweat trickled down in a torrent as veins throbbed under the skin of her temple.

A torrent of blood gushed into the bucket, the rhythmic _pum-pssht_ of crimson matching her agony-quickened pulse in perfect time. Satsuki tossed the pliers away, grabbed the alcohol tin and poured a liberal dose onto the open gash.

Clear mucous strings flew from Ryuko's nose as she exhaled violently, a new flavor of agony shooting through her hand. Satsuki pressed a rag onto the wound, applying pressure to stem the prodigious flow of blood that was now coursing out. A white carnation of cloth slowly transformed into brilliant scarlet, as though by magic in an illusionist's talented hands.

She whispered soothing words of encouragement into Ryuko's ear, nuzzling gently at her cheek while the young patient spat and grumbled an incoherent litany of chokes and whimpers.

"You're okay, it's okay. It's out. It's all over." Satsuki repeated, trying to soothing her wounded sister's attitude, if not pride. Ryuko spat the cracked lumber out onto the garage floor, noisily blowing a raspberry of moist bits out in an effort to rid herself of any association with wooden substances in general.

"Man, I don't know _how_ that Wolverine guy does it. That truly  sucked!" Ryuko quipped, and Satsuki just stared cluelessly at her sister's grinning face. Noting the blank expression that greeted her clever observation, Ryuko chuckled.

"You know, the X-Men guy? Furry dude with the cool metal claws in his hands? They pop out here?" She held up her right fist and uttered an exaggerated ' _shhhink_ " sound effect.

Satsuki slowly shook her head, one Spock-like eyebrow cocked up high. "I missed that, whatever it was…sorry, imouto."

Ryuko's grin widened, and she murmured "Well, we'll just have to do a movie date night and get you all caught up! But here, check this out: so that guy has a really sweet superpower, right? He heals from any wound, like, _super_ quick. It's a talent that I kinda share with him. See?"

Ryuko reached down and drew Satsuki's hand away from her wound. Satsuki started to protest, then stopped abruptly as she saw the opening glow with a faint red sparkly pattern, life fibers working to stitch up the gash from within.

"It hasn't even been two minutes! How did…you heal _that_ quickly? And what of the portions of splinter still inside the wound, surely there are small bits of debris that need to be cleaned out properly…? It might become infected!"

The young former street tough just shrugged. "Aw, it's no big deal. This used to happen all the time, sis. I just needed help with getting that piece out, it's just kinda awkward to have it jammed deep in my fist like that, ya know? I ain't ever had a time when any wood or metal got stuck _so_ hard I couldn't somehow pick it out myself, ya know? I always healed pretty quick, even as a kid…it's just in super mega overdrive, now that my fibers are fully awakened. Oh, and my body will expel the little leftover bits eventually. It's a real pain in my ass to sometimes have to sweep out the bed sheets for shrapnel, but, eh…it takes care of itself over time."

Satsuki frowned, soft eyes of worry ruefully contemplating Ryuko's horribly violent upbringing. "Imouto, I am so sorry for what you have had to endure in your lifetime. If only I had _known_ you were alive, I could have protected you from all of it! Curse our fates."

Ryuko's eyes rolled gently, dismissing her sister's worry with a shrug. "Aw, c'mon. It made me tough. I'll be okay…I wish I could have protected _you_ more, though. What you suffered under Ragyo, just…unimaginably bad stuff. Way worse than anything _I_ got, I think."

Her eyes saddened, Ryuko stroked Satsuki's cheek. She quietly whispered to her beloved elder sibling "I woulda taken it all for ya if I could have, Sats. I'd have done _anything_."

Kiryuin Satsuki's face stiffened, mask of practiced solitude reflexively dropping into place. "Never say such things. _Ever_. We have both suffered, yes. Do not diminish your own experiences. Our circumstances were different, but we coped however we could...we each found our way to do so. It is our own family blood, our indomitable _steel_ that made us both who we were, and who we are  still! Never forget that, Matoi Ryuko."

Frowning deeply, Ryuko's teeth ground noisily in anger. "Tainted blood, tainted steel...from _her_ damned veins. No wonder we're so fucking twisted inside. Was it always this way, Sats? What did our dad even _see_ in that cancerous bitch, anyway? That's what  I don't get!"

A pensive calm overtook the elder Kiryuin, words falling out of her mouth as if they were just casual sighs. "Love…is strange, sometimes. From what I could divine…when Soroi occasionally reminisced of better times, was that she wasn't _always_ like that. She was, over time, poisoned by the influence of the Primordial Life Fiber. Our father loved a human woman once. What she became later was not human, of course…but a hybrid puppet. Father allowed himself to be blinded to this, apparently believing that she could get better…or be saved? I do not know."

She stared at Ryuko's face, no traces of emotion coloring her speech as she recited her long-sealed secret thoughts. "I believe that he was perhaps not expecting her slow slide into that of a life-fiber zombie. It was only when Father saw how carelessly Ragyo threw you away… _that_ was the broken lynchpin that derailed him. I believe that he may have…gone a little crazy at that moment. Crazed with grief…not only at the loss of you, baby sister. But of his love, his wife…dying for good."

She slowly caressed Ryuko's blood-mottled hand, flesh now sealed. Looking down at the healing's progress, she smiled faintly with relief.

Her hoarse whisper continued unabated. Satsuki could no longer stop the pain from seeping out into the conversation, like a hazardous chemical spill leaches into fertile soil.

"The more I grew throughout puberty, and the quicker her humanity slipped away, the more any truly human barriers within her just…broke down. She saw me more as a conquest, a thing to break and mold as she saw fit. I sometimes wished I wouldn't develop any more, to stop enticing that evil bitch…but my body developed early. She saw it as a thing to _fuck_. I started to view it as a weapon to _hone_."

Ryuko squeezed her sister's hand. Glistening eyes of concern silently signaled that it was okay to stop, to not drag herself through this barbed-wire wall any more. Satsuki almost imperceptibly shook her head, quietly murmuring "No, it's all right. It's time to release it. I've held onto it for far too long, and I fear that it will poison me forever if I do not confront it on my own terms."

Satsuki leaned back, sitting down dejectedly onto the cold concrete floor. Ryuko slid off from the stool, creeping forward slowly as she whispered "Hey. Um…is…is it cool if I hold you? Would that be okay, Sats?"

Satsuki nodded once sharply, tears sporadically streaking down her otherwise emotionless face as a result of the sudden motion. Ryuko wobbled awkwardly around her on the floor, kneeling behind her and wrapping her arms around her tightly. She gently kissed Satsuki's head, then snuggled her chin upon her big sister's shoulder as she waited somewhat patiently for the purge to continue.

Resigned to her conversation's fate, Satsuki pressed on. "I can feel the overpowering urge to withdraw into my steel shell, even now. I created it to shield myself, and the more uncertain and unfamiliar I am of my environs, the more I rely upon it to protect me. The little girl I once was…she was so very nervous, so she decided to be brave and strong. She killed her own innocence, slit its throat as a sacrifice in the hopes that the dragon would someday meet its doom as a result. This is the suit of 'armor' I sealed myself into long ago…"

Reaching up to pat Ryuko's hand, she sighed and leaned her cheek against the formerly-wounded fist, ennui taking its toll on her mood. "I thought of the stories I had read as a child, with knight-errants of old slaying evil dragons that threatened the kingdom…this is what I built my castle upon."

Satsuki laughed to herself, a dry, mirthless utterance. "I suppose I might have been influenced by the Kiryuin family name's meaning, now that I think of it. Silly, I suppose, but what would another child do in that situation?"

Ryuko squeezed a hug into her sister. "Yeah, well…you were told to more or less _save the planet_. Personally, I think you did a kick-ass job! 'Specially fer such a _hottie_ …!" Her hand snuck down and playfully tweaked the young Kiryuin's hip to punctuate her giddy statement.

Ryuko felt her sister's shoulders tense, then slowly slacken as a controlled sigh rushed out to gain freedom. Satsuki broke away from Ryuko's grasp at this point, methodically drawing herself around to face her younger sibling and curling up into a protective ball before her. Iron arms tightly crossed over carefully-tucked knee fortifications, she murmured muffled observations from behind guarded ramparts.

"I can feel her, you know…the child I once was. She threatens to peek out, once in a while. It's been a long, long time since she felt truly safe enough to show her face." Calculating blue eyes traced the contours of the floor, the bucket, the shop rags…any object that was not capable of judging her.

"Yet I feel as though I can perhaps…trust you, Ryuko. Your experiences are not entirely dissimilar to my own, and I…do not know how to act any more, this protocol simply isn't known to me. I recognize that you, more than anyone, might understand my position."

Ryuko awkwardly flopped a hand towards Satsuki, uncoordinated fingers brushing against cold toes. ' _Slick move, Matoi…what the heck kind of comfort was_ _that_ _supposed to provide?_ ' she mentally admonished, caught between wanting to sweep up her suffering sister in loving affection…and also desiring to avoid having any nearby wooden stakes driven into her greedy, attention-sucking vampiric heart.

Her hand wasn't quite on either page, however…so it danced a jerky ballet of synaptic conflict, hanging mid-air from a limp wrist. Blushing from the quizzical eyes that now pierced her, Ryuko started to sheepishly trace abstract whorls onto the garage floor instead.

"She can, y'know…come out around me. I promise I'll protect her and never let her be hurt like that again, as long as she's willing to put up with me being a dumb-ass, uncultured hick."

The mistress of Castle Kiryuin cautiously lowered a drawbridge, pale hand seeking out calloused mitt in truce. The parties met in the middle, tentative meeting quickly turning into a life preserver grasp. Elegant, aristocrat fingers gripped rough hoodlum digits as the Steel Queen gracefully accepted the terms of the Matoi-Kiryuin Peace Treaty as offered.

* * *

They regarded each other. Apparel was, for the most part, hopelessly ruined by the gory encounter. Flesh was deemed to be united in general soreness, so the now-irrelevant first aid session was cancelled in lieu of a much-needed shower. The keen desire to be in close proximity with one another was now paramount, so this was initiated as a joint venture.

Desire, of course, was tempered by a spectacular lack of sexiness on both the young ladies' parts, each being too stressed out to entertain even the notion of erotic exploration. Instead, they shared a first-ever onsen-style family bathing session, their wet skinship creating an unspoken bond of mutual trust.

They cleansed themselves in a mutually courteous, yet intimate manner, each tending to the other's needs in due time. Konjac sponge was exchanged for exfoliating bath towel, European shower gel traded for rose petal moisturizer.

Satsuki's omnipresent apprehension of bathing with another person present was notably amiss amongst this watery trade show. She found herself more preoccupied with the fact that she wasn't bothered in the slightest. Not tremulous, not secretly quaking, not even nauseous…

Her heightened bath-radar was blissfully clear. Lavender and jasmine were instead detected in abundance. She closed her eyes, then rechecked. Nothing. Opening her eyes again, Satsuki found herself caught in Ryuko's gaze.

"Wet hair resets wild hair!" the young punk blurted loudly, brash voice echoing in the expansive enclosure. "S'what you're thinkin' right now, right?" She held up a limp wad of soaked hair with daintily pinched fingers, then let it fall to create a wet ' _fwap_ ' against her ruddy cheek.

Satsuki's lips pursed shyly in quiet amusement, and Ryuko's heart sang out in silent triumph. ' _Challenge one: smile in the shower. Achievement_ _unlocked_ _!_ ' trumpeted out proudly from her in-head loudspeaker.

Tongue dangling mischievously, Ryuko started to gargle the shower's spray in a cartoony comedy routine meant for an audience of one. Satsuki tilted her head in disbelief, a bemused smirk turning to exaggerated eye rolling.

"You are certainly…something else, Matoi." her deep voice intonated. She meant to say something pithy that illustrated distaste for such vulgarity, but the urge didn't quite form in the expected manner. Instead, it manifested as a most-unladylike _snort_ , mirth suddenly escaping from her patrician nose.

Ryuko giggled out loud, one hand pressed over her muzzle as a dripping index finger pointed towards the one-hundred-percent-genuine, accept-no-substitutes embarrassed red cheeks of one Kiryuin Satsuki, long-rumored but never seen in the wild until just now.

"Wha-what…oh, my _goodness_! Did you just _laugh_ through your nose in a most snorty-like manner, my dear Lady Satsy-kins, Duchess of Steel Queensbury?" Ryuko gleefully mocked, unable to resist the tender opportunity.

Nostrils flaring, Satsuki inflated up to her vainglorious self. Laughter fading, Ryuko backed up nervously as Satsuki stepped forward, shower stream cast over her form as light and steam formed a swirling aura about her.

One raised eyebrow twitched, soapy droplets clinging like morning dew." Ryuko found herself pitifully cowering, wondering idly if _this_ was what a soldier felt as the dry * _click*_ of a just-armed landmine was sensed under a combat boot.

The Kiryuin heiress stood there, glowering silently at the wild _meteorum vulgaris_ (下品な流星) that made up her sister's genus and species. Ryuko sputtered and mumbled, nailed under the harsh interrogation spotlight. "Wh-what, um, - _gulp_ \- do you w-want me to leave? I can totally leave- _Icandothatrightnowasamatteroffact_ -"

" _STOP_." The snarled command cut off Ryuko's bluster with a hushed squeak. A hammerhead shark would exude a less sinister presence in water compared to that which now menaced her.

"What I want from you, _Matoi Ryuko_ , you utterly petulant _meteor child_ …is…a hug."

* * *

"Are you…pouting, Princess Imouto-sans- _speech_? Hmm?"

"Sah…skee…gah…yurr…you… _you_? YOU! _Youuuuu-_ "

"Something to _say_ , little one? You have something to _pay_ , if you will. A fee. Penance. Now."

"Rrrrr…eh. All right. _Fine._ You win. Jeez."

"Of _course_ I do, Ryuko. Who am I?"

"…my older, smarter sister."

"Indeed? Hmm, I shall accept that. You would do well to remember such a fact. Now…come here."

" _-sigh-_ Mm-hmm."

* _squish_ *

"-mmm-"

" _…mmmmmloveyou_."

"I love you, too….dork."

*squelch- _ssshpop_ *

"Ah! Did you hear that? That was _awesome_! Let's do it again!"

*squashhh- _kpop_ *

" _-gasp-_ Listen! This sounds just like a suction cup! Aw yeah! That's sooo frickin' _cool!_ "

*shwack- _shhhthhpop_ *

"…that's enough, Imouto-san."

"Aw! Now my nips are all hard…?"

"Not tonight, dear. I have a headache."

"… _aw_."

* * *

Snuggled in bed side by side, they faced each other; Satsuki clad in silk, Ryuko garbed in flannel. They gazed at each other's towel-wrapped heads: Satsuki reminding herself to doff the towel before sleep…and Ryuko reminding herself that Satsuki resembles a big cotton swab right now.

Satsuki snaked a hand towards Ryuko's, enveloping it with a soft grasp. "Thank you, imouto-san." Ryuko yawned sleepily like a newborn kitten, then squeezed back. "Fer wha'?"

"For putting up with me, displaying the occasional hint of patience, for being here for me…with me. I want you to know…I truly appreciate this. I am aware that my personality is not the most cheerful or jubilant. I'm afraid that I will never be as carefree as Mako, you see."

A ' _Matoi Ryuko/Inner-Vision_ ' movie presentation started rolling behind the younger sister's spoke-shaped eyes: Kiryuin Satsuki, wide-open glare, hands crisscrossed above as a chorus of ' _Hallelujah_ ' blared out from hidden megawatt speakers.

'Not-Suki' gesticulated wildly, and Ryuko had to summon all of her life-fiber-enhanced strength to not burst out loud laughing as the babbling voice issuing forth from Kartoon Kiryuin's throat was less ' _Handel-Hallelujah_ ' and more ' _Leonard Cohen-Hallelujah_ '.

"S-sure, that's understandable - _kaff_ \- Sats, I mean, who _-cough-_ else is that friggin' bouncy, right? She's, like, pure concentrated cheerfulness!"

Probing eyes examined the young girl. "Are you unwell, imouto? You seem to be coughing."

"Oh! No, jus' somethin' stuck in my throat. There's _-ahem-_ …nothin' funny goin' on here or anything." Ryuko deadpanned. The face of a perfectly innocent angel gazed back at Satsuki: that's how she knew something actually was on Ryuko's mind.

Darts flew from Satsuki, carefully crafted queries that she estimated to be quite precise and on target. "What is it? Are you upset because I mentioned Mako? Did our _-ah-_ recent…intimacy cause issues with her? Is she angry with me? Or yourself, possibly?"

Ryuko's nose scrunched up, and a genuine wave of confusion moved in. "Why would _she_ care? I mean, true…she _is_ my bestest buddy and all, but she's never less than totally supportive of me. I could tell her I was gonna try to lift a frickin' aircraft carrier, and she would just cheer me on, full strength! Bless her heart, right? Why? Why're ya askin'?"

Satsuki touched her index fingertips together gingerly, illustrating her delicate thought process. "I was under the impression…I mean, I thought that you and she were, shall we say, friendly? In a…romantic manner? I certainly do not mean to pry, please understand! However, I wanted to set us both _straight_ with-"

Ryuko suddenly chuckled, understanding now creeping up to relax her form. She nudged Satsuki playfully. "Hah, yeah. _Straight_. Yep. That's us…ya orgasmic screamer."

Capillary reinforcements reported directly to Satsuki's cheeks, post-haste. "I…wh-M- _Matoi Ryuko_! Is there really a need for that _now_?" Big sis was absolutely  adorable when flustered and shy came together to hijack her expression, Ryuko observed deliciously. Satsuki's navy blue eyes were signal lamps, fluttering a staccato of sheer embarrassment in response to the salvo of Ryuko's innuendo-tipped bombardment.

"Hey. You. Under the covers. Yeah, _you_. Satsuki! Come out with your hands up."

"No. I refuse. You'll just make fun of me again!"

"I won't, I promise! I'm sorry if I upset ya, okaaay?"

"You are _not_ sorry. You are _never_ sorry. You, you…incorrigible wench!"

"C'mon. I won't do it again. Seriously! I didn't mean ta drive ya unnerground!"

"…do you _promise_ to leave me alone? I do not need this…this…humiliation! I am _Kiryuin Satsuki_! I should not be forced to seek refuge under a pillow!"

"Then don't. I was just _teasin_ '. You know I do that to, like, everyone…right? I kid because I love…so choke on it, 'kay? That's pure Ryuko love, I'll have ya know. Handcrafted by the finest imoutos. Accept no substitutes!"

Ryuko stared at the burial mound, then checked her map. Yep, this was the last known location of her sister's wounded pride, all right. The mound quivered, then slowly collapsed as the comforter and pillow wreckage was cleared away from the entrance. Satsuki peeked out of the fabric-cave, a hint of pout on her lips.

Ryuko slowly reached out, pressing thumb and forefinger to jutting chin. She gently whispered "Hey. There you are. I missed you. Oh, and no…we're not like a 'thing' or anything. Mako and me, I mean." Satsuki flushed, then dropped her eyes to the blankets.

"I'm…sorry for this. I don't know what came over me. I've been experiencing these…unusual…feelings. Impulses! I don't know what to do, how to act! I feel so utterly clueless! It is not the way a Kiryuin should behave!"

Young Matoi smiled gently, proud beyond measure to witness the first stumbling steps of a Brave New Satsuki. "Behave? What…you mean, be all discombobulated and stuff because I teased ya about yer super sexy supreme hotness? Well, I got news for ya, Sats. It's called being _human_. Welcome. Please, enjoy the stay. Have some tea and crumpets."

Satsuki still didn't look convinced. Ryuko's face took on that of determined concern. "Look, I never said any of this was gonna be _easy_ , y'know? Most people just go through life, figuring it all out as they go. Hell, I ain't even too good at this whole living and feeling and thinking thing! Maybe I'm not the one who should be givin' advice out, right? I mean, look at me. I'm not even really human, am I?"

Satsuki flashed a look of her own personal brand of concern back at Ryuko. " _Don't say that_! You are more human than most of the pigs I have ever witnessed out there! People love you…for your sheer honesty and energy and wonderful companionship. I long to be more…like you, someday."

Ryuko's slackened jaw could have become nest to a family of Japanese bush warblers at this point, and she would not have taken note. "There is _no_ _fucking way_ that's true. _I'm_ the one who needs to be more like her sister, not the other way around! _You_ are the one everyone respects! _You_ are the prettiest and most intelligent and talented…and…the m-most perfect-"

Kiryuin Satsuki reached out and solemnly took hold of her sister's shocked hand. "Ryuko, do I _seem_ perfect to you? Really? With _these_ kind of issues hounding my very soul? No, dear heart…I have a long way to go before you could even hope to say such things. I…have come to realize this, recently. Quite recently, in fact."

Ryuko performed her trademark (unbeknownst to all, save her ever-observant sister) 'blink-blink-frown-nose scrunch-eyes slitting' routine that was commonly observed when her train of thought rear-ended an unexpected herd of baffling new ideas.

"H-huh? Whaddaya mean? What happened?" the ruddy cheeked ruffian sputtered out plaintively.

Satsuki shrugged. "Nothing really…happened, per se. Well, I suppose that is not entirely accurate. I have sought out the counsel of some…friends of mine. They have taken it upon themselves to assist me with my recent inability to process this…emotional reconfiguration period that I must obviously embark upon."

"Emotional- _what_? Who even talks like th- _waitjustasecond_ , was this _very_ recently, by any chance…?"

"It was."

"Do I know these…friends?"

"You do."

"I see, I see…tell me, Kiryuin. Do these _friends_ now know about, y'know… _us_ , by any chance?"

"…they do."

"Like, as in _us_ , us?"

"Yes. They are, in fact, aware that we had sex."

"…oh, shitshit _shit_. They'll  never cut me a break now! Maybe cut _me_ , sure, but not a break! Maybe a break of my _arms_ _and_ _legs_ …sure, right! Great. Just _great_! May as well just leave my ass out in a ditch somewhere, Kiryuin. I'm as good as  dead, now!"

"Ryuko. This will _not_ come to pass. You have my word."

"That's it, man. Game over, man. Game over! What the fuck are we supposed to now, huh, what are we gonna do?"

"I have spoken to them, Ryuko. We have reached an understanding."

"Oh, you mean you _understand_ where they're gonna leave my body, is that it? Will it at least be _warm_ there, or should I bring a fucking sweater? I-I can just pull up my tent stakes and leave, that's it! I'll just be the rōnin again! The lone wanderer, just out there, bein' all…heroically lonely and stuff, all on my own…- _sniff_ -. Sats, I'll miss ya! You c'n have all my junk, I won't be able to bring it with me where I'm goin'. It'll just _slow me down_ …it'll be just me and my bike, my trusty steed, as we-"

"…are you quite finished, o' vagabond drifter of pathos?"

"- _sigh_ -…I guess so, yeah. So, who's this 'Paythaus', anyway? Was that a famous samurai drifter? Or maybe some legendary Greek warrior dude? It sounds Greek."

"Ah, why yes, Ryuko. You are correct, it _is_ Greek. It's a…truly sad story. I'll tell you someday."

"Maybe some other time, Sats. Right now, you need to tell me why you thought it was a good idea to tell _those two_ we screwed? Especially Jakuzure…she seems like the type that would make it hurt a _lot_ before the victim is buried in some horrible pit somewhere! Oh, and the info pimp knows? Now half the internet knows too, I'll bet…"

"Yes, Nonon _can_ be vicious at times, this is true. Look, imouto-san. It's late, and we are both so very tired. Let us rest for now, and we can go over everything tomorrow…when we have both had a chance to cool down, all right? Do you trust me, Ryuko?"

"- _tch_ \- I guess."

"Then please _trust_ me when I say that you are in no trouble of the sort, and you will, in fact, find arrangements to be most agreeable to all from here on out, okay?

"-sigh- Fine. I'll trust ya. I _guess_."

"Well, it certainly brings me joy to hear you having such faith in my word, Ryuko."

"It ain't you, Wonderbrows…it's _them_ I don't trust."

"Ryuko, I understand your trust issues, truly I do. They have not exactly…properly extended the olive branch of peace to you. They soon will. However, _you_ will also have to make efforts as well if it is to work. Understood?"

"Yes, Sensei Kiryuin."

"Very well then, out goes the light. I will make us breakfast when we get up, all right?"

"…mmyeah, s'cool."

"Excellent. Get some rest, and sweet dreams."

 _*click*_

" _Rrrrgrumble - m'gonna find a way to give you a Dutch oven, ya sanctimonious, snooty, tea-sniffin', highfalutin-"_

"… _nnnmsorry, wha_ -what was that, Ryuko? Did you say a…Dutch oven? What on Earth for? Isn't that like a tetsunabe?"

" _Holy-how freakin'_ _good is your damned_ _hearing_ _, you_ _-ahem_ \- Y-yeah, it's a kind of oven. For cooking…desserts!"

' _Yeah,_ _heh-heh-heh…_ _just_ _desserts! Okay, I'm tickled at the very idea…"_

"That sounds absolutely lovely…but let's talk about it over tomorrow, okay imouto-chan?"

"Mmm-hmm. Oh, we'll be _talking_ , all right…"

 _'Yep, 'bout what I'm gonna do to ya tonight, hee-hee-heeee!'_

"Indeed we shall. Oh, and Ryuko?"

"…yeah, Sats?"

"I love you. More than you can possibly imagine. Please do not _ever_ forget this."

"I…I love you, too. S-sis…"

"Good night."

 _"…aw."_

* * *

Morning brought the sounds of a toaster springing, the sizzling of bacon cooking and the scent of freshly brewed coffee to Ryuko's senses. Sunrise was beginning to glint through the intricate cut-glass edges of the windows, delicate prismatic lights etched across the ceiling. Birds could be heard, twitting about in one of the estate's nearby copse of Japanese maples.

She hated it.

"Mmmrblghh. Wha-bleh. What died in my mouth last night…and can I be buried with it?" she mumbled, hating mornings with an unholy passion.

One arm swept out across the bed, seeking a warm body to hug (… _and to beg for just twenty more minutes from the judge, I can start weeping if I have to…_ ). Finding only a Satsuki-shaped empty hollow in the comforters, her mind clicked and chuffed for a while, calculating the complex algorithms to piece this cipher together. _'Breakfast being made plus Satsuki not here equals…uhh…hmm…lesse here…carry the six…add forty two…oh. She's up already. Of course.'_

Kiryuin Satsuki's face lit up when Ryuko's shuffling, butt-scratching, yawning corpse made itself known. A bright smile greeted the grumpy youngster with a sing-song lilt to her voice.

"Ah! Good morning, Ryuko! Please, have a seat here and I will bring you some food. I have taken the liberty of preparing a Western-style omelet for you; it will only have _cheese_ in it, of course. I did not seek to hide any healthy vegetables within… _this_ time!"

Ryuko gritted her teeth. "-mumblegrumble- _Get thee behind me, Satan…_ " she muttered, trudging over to plop into her chair. Satsuki cocked one ear towards the quiet comment. "Sorry dear? I…didn't quite catch that?"

"Uh, I said ' _Gosh, I sure am hungry, Satsuki_!' Sorry, I'm a little…out of it fer some reason…might be the single digits on the clock over there…are numbers supposed to be that _small_ when you wake up?" Ryuko said, squinting her eyes to verify the microwave's displayed time.

Satsuki laughed lightly, placing a steaming mug of coffee before Ryuko while she did so. "Surely you jest? It's 6:43 A.M.! This is the _latest_ I've slept in since I was fourteen! I must thank you, imouto-chan! Having you next to me in bed made me feel so…so _safe_ , I slept like a proverbial rock!"

' _Ugh._ _Morning people should be shot, then buried. Then dug up and revived, just to be shot again._ ' the recently-appointed bedtime hero mulled, counterfeiting a chipper grin while sucking the warm liquid down. "Glad to be of service, hot stuff."

Ryuko sniffed the coffee. "Hey, this ain't decaf, is it?" Satsuki's upturned nose telegraphed a derisive response. "Of course not. I certainly know better than to provide _you_ with such a pointless substance."

Cold hands enjoying the welcome heat, Ryuko produced a faint smile of gratitude as she cradled the mug of holy water. "Jus' checkin'. Imma need all the help I can get if yer getting' me up at this hour. Why are we up at this hour, by the way?"

Placing a few strips of bacon upon Ryuko's plate, Satsuki shrugged nonchalantly. "I hadn't really planned this, it just seemed right to commemorate such an occasion. I waited as long as I could. I hope it's not too much of a bother?"

Briefly examining the coffee mug's inscription ' _World's Best Boss'_ , Ryuko rolled an amused eye before fixing Satsuki with a mildly quizzical glance. "Occasion? What…is today special or somethin'? I didn't get the memo."

Satsuki settled before her own assortment of sliced fruit, yogurt and a bagel. Gingerly placing a linen napkin upon her lap, she then proceeded to raise her favorite tea cup to her lips, said cup only making an appearance due to the significance of this event. Eyes closed in bliss, she was enjoying the ever-present Zen moment that always accompanied the first sip.

"Well, imouto, it's mostly for me, actually. You see, last night was something of a revelation." She swiped a pat of fat free cream cheese across the bagel, expertly working the rounded knife around the doughy crust's edges.

Satsuki ignored the mumbled-with-appalling-morning-breath ' _Ew, spackling paste!_ ' criticism leveled at her choice of bagel topping. Locking a steady gaze with her bleary-eyed younger sibling, she primly announced "It would appear that I did not experience a _single_ nightmare as I slept."

Ryuko paused abruptly in the middle of her scheduled omelet demolition, now in progress. "Datfs good, wight?" she murmured through a mouthful of egg.

"Good? I would say that it's nothing short of amazing. I cannot tell you the last time I felt like this! Well…I suppose I can, actually. It was… _-ahem-_ a few weeks ago, actually _."_ A brief flare of embarrassment bloomed in her cheeks, caught unaware that she would be somehow referring to _that_ night at breakfast.

"Ohhh _yeahhh_ …? Ya mean, after I left ya feelin' numb below the waist when I made ya cum like _eight_ friggin' times in a-"

"* _cough_ * _M-Matoi_! Not at the  breakfast table! Have some _decency_!" the intensely flustered Kiryuin sputtered, jostling her tea cup and saucer in the process.

Ryuko beamed the grin of champions, thoroughly enjoying this morning's entertainment. She feigned modesty, gently cracking her neck back and forth as she did. "It's okay. You don't have to say 'thank you'. Not like _I_ could that night, since my jaw was, like, completely seized up after-"

A brilliant crimson forehead held up Satsuki's eyebrows over a billboard of pure irritated chagrin. Unwilling to provoke Mount Satsuki-jima any longer, she surrendered before the magma chamber blew its top.

"Okay, okay! I'll stop, I promise! Ease back, I'll be good now!" Ryuko proffered, verbal weapons surrendered before the wrathful goddess. She candidly went back to assaulting her breakfast, watching out of the corner of her eye as her sister slowly settled back into a more tranquil mode.

The clacking of silverware was the only soundtrack for a few minutes, both parties unwilling to break the imposed intermission of awkward silence. Matoi Ryuko mentally reviewed her limited database of proper dining etiquette, trying to somehow scrape up enough currency to be allowed to speak again. She proceeded to straighten up and dine in a manner she hoped would be pleasing to the critical Kiryuin eye.

Satsuki proceeded to sigh to herself quietly, and Ryuko interpreted it as a sign that she was allowed to unsheathe her tongue once more.

Ryuko casually nudged what she hoped was a conversational offering out for her sister's consideration. "Oi, so…I take it that maybe I'll be a welcome addition to yer bedtime routine, then?"

Fist crashing down to the table, Satsuki grabbed a dull butter knife and jabbed it towards her uncouth sibling's utterly shocked face. A blob of butter * _spacked_ * against Ryuko's cheek as Satsuki went to DEFCON 1.

"IF YOU UTTER _ONE MORE_ DAMNED INNUENDO, I'LL WELD YOUR MOUTH SHUT WITH A FLAMETHROWER!" Satsuki screamed, neck veins straining to keep up with the flow of anger encased within.

" _AHHFUCKMERUNNINGIdidntdoit!_ S-Satsuki! Please! I-I _didn't_! I swear to all that is fibrous and glowing that I did _not_ mean that in the way it might have sounded. I swear, it was unintentional! I was done! I was _dumb_! P-p- _please_! Dum-Dum Ryuko did it again! P-pleasedontsetmeonfireImsosorrypleasepleaseplease-" Forearms crossed over cowering head, Ryuko trembled with eyes glistening, much like an incontinent puppy caught in the living room next to a tiny puddle.

Steam may have been rising from Satsuki's collar. It was hard to tell. Not even the bravest volcanologist would dare to tread upon _this_ ominously bulging face.

Inspector Kiryuin reviewed the evidence, played back the case logs, researched her suspect's motives and psychological profile…and then checked her pity budget's allowance for this week. She discovered a tiny crumb of mercy within, left over from the last time Ryuko tested her nigh-infinite patience.

Butter weapon lowered, she sniffed derisively in the direction of the most-probably-reprieved inmate. "Very well. Pass me the ' _spackling paste'_ , and I shall consider your sentence."

Ryuko wordlessly nodded an overly enthusiastic chin, carefully offering the ' _Matio's Humble_ _Special Reserve Cream Cheese of Highest Respect, Quality and Apology'_ over to her most merciful grace.

Kiryuin Satsuki, Imperial Lady of Breakfast Court regally accepted the dish, delicately placing it near her bagel as she prepared to dress the other half. She absorbed the waves of quiet mortification that Peasant Girl Ryuko was now radiating: it was not often that the brash young girl was rendered completely speechless, and Satsuki intended to soak it in while she could.

"Yes." Satsuki uttered, breaking the silence wall once she had consumed her fill under her blissfully chosen terms.

Ryuko blinked, then scratched the back of her neck nervously as she shakily mumbled "…y-yes? Ya mean, ' _yes,_ _you can speak now'_ yes? Or ' _yes,_ _yer gonna die slow_ ' yes? It's not…um…clear right now, sorry."

Satsuki smirked, gently clarifying her comment. "It means ' _Yes,_ _I would greatly appreciate it if you would honor me by joining me in bed from now on, as it has a most positive effect on my sleep_ _patterns_ ' yes."

Understanding slowly snuck in and removed the canvas sack of incomprehension from over Ryuko's head. " _Oh_. Oh, okay, cool. That's…oh, that's _cool_." Her eyes brightened, the implications finally blooming.

"Are ya sure? I mean, I'm not exactly the quietest sleeper. I might…snore sometimes, just a little bit. Also, I _may_ occasionally drool. But just, like, a _tiny_ bit!" Ryuko held up her thumb and forefinger, indicating the tiniest molecule of an idea.

Satsuki reached out and, smiling ever so slightly as she did, gently pulled apart the fingers until they were about two inches apart. "Just a _little_ bit…"

"Oi! It's not _my_ fault! I'm a deep sleeper! Deep thinking means deep _sleeping_!" The indignance was sliceable by blade at this point.

Satsuki laughed in earnest just then, a delicate, twinkling exclamation that seemed positively alien in nature to the young Matoi's ears. Ryuko eyed the favored tea cup warily, wondering if it was somehow a cover for some early morning _wine_ instead.

"Ryuko…I know these things. I don't mind. In fact, I rely upon it…oh, all right. Perhaps the phrase ' _slept like a rock_ ' was a stretch. I _did_ have a somewhat disturbing phantom panic last night. But when I awoke…I turned and I heard you, sawing away. I felt your pillow, wet with drool. I knew then…that it was  real. That you were actually _there_. For _me_."

A hitch, then another. Tears of the purest gratitude welled up in Satsuki's eyes as she reached out and caressed Ryuko's rough knuckles. Her voice grew uneven, quavering as she forged on.

"You…have _no idea_ …how comforting that was for me. To know that a blood relative was there, in my bed…right next to me…and she wasn't there to h- _hurt_ me. She was there to…to _love_ me."

Ryuko grasped her sibling's hand and squeezed a stamp of loving trust into her flesh. "Of _course_ I am. I would  never hurt you. Well, I-I mean, I _did_ , back in the day. B-but I won't ever _again_ , y'know? That was then, and this is now. Now, I'm here for ya. Always, for as long as ya can put up with me!"

Linen napkin catching tear drops instead of tea drops, Satsuki sniffled and gasped, breathless with this odd swell of… _something_ that threatened to fill her chest with…what the hell _was_ that, anyway? It wasn't sadness or pain. Not really. Mild discomfort, perhaps. Indigestion, this early? But she had hardly begun to eat?

Noting that Satsuki's hand was pressing upon her ribs with mild confusion, Ryuko snorted and whispered "Yer chokin' on it right now."

"Wh-what…? I'm - _ahem_ \- not _choking_ , Ryuko…?" _'…I_ _think_ _…?'_ Satsuki pondered to herself, confident of this fact, yet for lack of another ailment to name…

"My love. I kid ya, so yer positively _choking_ on it. I told ya so. Heh." Toothy grin flashed, and sister blushed accordingly.

"You are so silly sometimes, imouto. I don't know _how_ you do it, but-"

"Talent! Pure, awesome talent! I positively _stagger_ under its weight, ya know. But I'm also so damned strong, so it just don't matter! Oh, yeah. Check it out." Her bicep pulsed with pride, and Satsuki giggled.

"There's the proof, right _there_. Silliness. So abundant and carefree. Oh, dear. I may swoon." Satsuki theatrically placed one wrist upon her forehead, napkin clutched against her breast.

Ryuko's eyes bugged out at such a comedic gesture. "Oh. My. _God_. Sats, is that you? Are you there? I need you to  prove that it's you…I think that my sister has been replaced by a shapeshifter! Hello! Anyone? She made a joooooke!"

Ryuko grabbed Satsuki's napkin-clad hand, eyes ablaze with worry. "Okay, you…you _pod person_! I'm gonna need you to volunteer some piece of info that only my _real_ onee-san would know…or I'm gonna hafta  interrogate ya! So spill!"

"Oh, no. I don't know…this is quite volatile information. I'm not sure if I should breathe such secrets out in the open."

"You have no choice! I'll take a bug zapper to ya if ya don't!"

"Well, in _that_ case…I just so happen to know of her younger sister's…weakness. Her Achilles heel, if you will."

"Impossible! She _has_ no known weaknesses! You lie, _false Kiryuin_!"

"Ah, but I'm afraid so. You see, if one were to reach over and press…here, in a most - _hrrf_ \- firm manner, you would observe her to become quite…aroused, shall we say?"

"I don't know what you _-ahn!-_ m-mean. Surely you're… _-ahhmm_ mistaken?"

"Oh, are you quite certain? I assure you, this information is most - _rmmf-_ accurate."

"I'm not - _ssshit-_ sure I know wh- _huff_ \- you're talkin'- _heffhuhh-huhh-ahh_ -ab-b-bout-t…"

"Oh, my! It would appear that this knowledge - _nnngh_ \- has…started to _leak_ out? Hmm?"

"Rrrgh, you fight dirty, ya - _guh!-_ Th-this is not f-fair at all _…-unh!"_

" _Fair_? Why, I do recall a certain  someone exclaiming that _oh, what was it_? Ah, yes. 'All's  fair in love and war?' Does _that_ ring a little…swollen… _bell_?"

"- _Ah-hahh-ahh-_ heh-heh, you aren't gonna h-hold that against me, are ya? - _ooh-_!"

"What I _hold_ against you is up to  me. Robe off. _Now_."

"Holy hell, _fine_ …here, just - _rrrrRRRrrr_ -there! Happy?"

"Lean back. Spread your legs. Now, let's see…what would happen if I pressed right about… _here?"_

"…oh, oh, oh my g-g-goddds-h-hel-hellp-mee-…"

"Or _here_? Hmm? Are we closer to _learning_ anything?"

"Yes, that's I'm a bit - _gasp_ \- s-sore down there now- _owww_."

"Mmm. Duly noted. I'll just back off, then. There we go. Anything _else_ to report?"

"Y-yeah that I'll _die_ if we don't f-fuck right this v-very _second_! Please! Don't leave me hangin'! K-keep going! I'll do anything!"

"Oh, really. _Any_ thing…?"

"- _ohgods_ \- Y-yes! _YES!_ "

"Hmm…very well, then. _This contract is_ _sealed_. Let me just…come over here and I'll numb the sore area, you poor girl…-mmm- _num-nummm-numm_ "

"You did not just fuckin' s-say tha-F-fuck! _GODS_! _Help me_! _Hear my plea_! - _nnn-ah-_!"

"- _mmmcantsaveyounowmmm_ -"

"H-hello? Amaterasu? It's me, Ryuko _-o-ohthatsmyclit!_ P-Please don't let me die- _eeeeeeep_?"

"- _mmmn-mmmmmf-_ "

" _ohprettyplease-_ S-Susanoo-ooopleasesomeoneanyonesavemeeee _-_ UNH! _-hunh-hrrf! -hah-hah-hah-heff-"_

 _"-mmm-nmm-nmm-nmm-"_

 _"-ohgod_ b-b-Buddha? V-vishnu-theonewiththebeard-theotheronewiththebeard-p-please-helllppppp _-"_

 _"-mmm-nummceaseyourblasphemyumm-nmm-mmmf-mmmff-"_

 _"…ohsowet-_ P-Poseidon? If yer not too busy, couldja _-ooohhh-"_

 _"-hmmm-mmmn-nmm-"_

 _"oh-hell-doyouweightliftwithyourtongue_ _too_ _?_ Oh, oh oh, fuckinrollercoasterrr-m'gonna… _gonnaaa_ \- _ah! Ah!_ **AH!** **AAAAA** AAAaaaaH **HH** H-AA **AH** HH-aaaaaaaahhh-aaaaahhh-ahhhnnn…huff-huff-whooo-hooo-fffuckin _hell_ …- _fhew!_ -mmm-ohboy. Uh. Wow. That was…wow. All, like…wow, n'stuff."

"- _mmhmm_ -yes, that _was_ quite exhilarating. Okay….enough rest! Now get up."

"Ohhhh, I see. It's my turn to do some work fer you now, yeah? Heh-heh-heh!"

"Oh, it certainly _is_ , Ryuko! Here."

"Aw, yeah! Time ta get busy- _wait_. Uh…Satsuki?"

"Yes, my dear imouto?"

"This appears to be…some rubber _gloves_?"

"Ah, indeed, you are _most_ perceptive!"

"Wha-what am I supposed ta frickin' do with- _hey_! What's with the _pushing_?"

"Here. Get to work."

"B-but, in front of the _sink_ …?"

"Yes, Matoi. That's where the _dishes_ are located. _I_ prepared breakfast, _you_ shall wash the dishes. Hop to it."

"Aw! But I don't _wanna_ -"

"You _promised_ , remember? You would do… _any_ thing? Well, I'm off to freshen up. Please do a good job."

"B-but-but…what about-"

" _Now_ , please."

 _"…aw."_

* * *

Satsuki waltzed into the living room, humming a jaunty tune to herself as she spied one nude Matoi Ryuko, television remote in one hand, soda can in the other…lightly snoring away. Lithe legs splayed out beside her, she looked positively graceful, a ballerina safely caught mid-jump by the most helpful couch.

Biting her lower lip, she stepped quietly over to the napping lass, leaning over to whisper into Ryuko's ear "Oh, Ryuuukooo. Are you awake?"

"…zzztwennymoreminuzzzzpleazzzzz…"

Satsuki sighed. "Oh, Ryuko? We have things to do. I certainly hope you finished the task at hand. The dishes are done, I presume?"

Ryuko's lips flapped together like moist rubber, mumbling a poutface of disciplinary dissatisfaction. "…yesszzzzdishezweredunnnnzzz…"

Delicately securing the unopened soda can from Ryuko's loose fist, Satsuki placed it down upon the far end table as she snickered to herself quietly.

"Ryuko? Hey, do want to see a neat trick?" she murmured to the dozing teen, taking the time to snap a quick evidence photo of Ryuko's drool-slick jaw on her phone as she put her plan into action. Nothing wrong with building up a blackmail cache for future reference, is there?

"…zzzmmmokayI _like_ magictricksszzz…" she burbled. Satsuki cracked her knuckles, then cleared her throat to prepare for the unleashing of her ' _Sonic Boom Wakeup Call_ (ソニックブームのウェイクアップコール)'.

Former Honnōji Academy Student Council President Kiryuin Satsuki stood at full attention, arms folded behind her back in military stiffness. "Ahem. LAZY SISTER _OVERRIDE_! (怠惰な姉妹のオーバーライド)" she barked loudly, and was not disappointed with the immediate response it elicited.

Ryuko's prone form reflexively bolted up, stimulated by what her body perceived as about fifty thousand volts of electricity, delivered by express courier directly to her shapely bottom. Satsuki was treated to a Cirque-du-soleil level of acrobatic performance as the startled teen's body arced in midair, flipping over and landing with precise balance upon the sofa's arm.

Holding the television remote up to her chin defensively as a star baseball player would handle a bat right before the - _crack_ \- of a home run, she hyperventilated rapidly as wild eyes surveyed the area for the dastardly menace. Finding none, her gaze fell upon the amused visage of one highly amused sister instead.

"Ah, lovely! You're up. Get dressed, please. I have need of you." Satsuki ordered succinctly. Ryuko's nostrils flared and wiggled, jaw set in marble relief. A bestial growl issued forth from her chest as Satsuki deftly plucked the remote from her grasp.

"Don't worry, Ryuko. Someday, you'll best me. Today, however…is _not_ that day. Please meet me in my office when you are properly clad." She walked away, leaving Ryuko to fume and stomp her way to achieving this clothing goal.

* * *

Ryuko reported to Satsuki's office as requested, dressed in a casual track outfit. Hands shoved deep in her sweatshirt's pockets, she sauntered over to the Kiryuin office desk.

Glancing over her sister's shoulder, she squinted at the computer monitor's soft glow. "Whatcha workin' on?" Ryuko queried, recognizing the photos of the Kiryuin estate's back section.

"Ah. This is the project that I wish for you to consider. I desire your honest opinion." Satsuki used one of her reading glasses' arms to point at various photos, illustrating her focus. "This is a computerized mockup of a bronze sculpture that I wish to add to the estate's rear façade. It's to be placed here, behind the gardens. This is what the statue would look like, should it be installed. What do you think?"

Ryuko regarded the photos, reaching over to manipulate the mouse and scroll through the mockup's pages of analysis. "It's very…heroic, I guess?" The pictures depicted a powerfully built man, hammer raised overhead as he worked to transform a large sword into the shape of a plow, blade embedded into the ground before his feet.

"Looks kinda Soviet Russia-ish, like the 'worker-knows-best' propaganda stuff that's always painted in those murals…ya know?" the young Matoi thoughtfully observed, and Satsuki's heart swelled with a dollop of pride at the accuracy of her sibling's response.

"Why Ryuko, that is _most_ observant of you! You certainly must have been listening to 'Professor' Mikisugi's history lectures!" she beamed, and Ryuko mumbled "Oh, sure. When I wasn't distracted by his ' _glitz-tits_ ', maybe…"

Satsuki frowned slightly. "Ah, y-yes…well, what can I say? Teacher's union. Anyway, your observation is correct. This is ' _Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares_ ', a sculpture by Soviet artist Yevgeny Vuchetich."

Ryuko shrugged. "Uh huh. Nice bum. So, what is the sudden fascination with this about, then?"

Satsuki's face became that of wistfulness, considering her words carefully as she spoke. "This…was sculpted to represent the human wish to end all wars by converting the weapons of death and destruction into peaceful and productive tools that are more beneficial to mankind. 'Swords to plowshares'…a concept in which military weapons are converted for peaceful civilian use…this is what I wish for myself, Ryuko."

Ryuko smirked, mischief brewing deep within. "Oi, so you wanna become a farmer, then?"

Face melded into a look of perfectly unimpressed disapproval, Satsuki stared at her sister. "No, Ryuko. That's _not_ what I meant."

Ryuko rolled her eyes as she snorted playfully. "Serious Satsuki is serious." she chuckled, her own face taking on an imitation of her frustrated sister's demeanor.

"If. You. Would. Be. So. _Kind_." The annoyed elder sister hissed, and Ryuko guffawed out loud, clearly tickled.

"Aw, I'm jus' kiddin, ya big goof! I _get_ it, I really do. Relax the ' _Eyebrows O' Doom_ ', 'kay? I think it's a great idea."

Satsuki's brow did indeed loosen, taking on a hint of relaxed acceptance as Ryuko's hand reached out to squeeze her own.

"It is what I must accomplish, now. I need to become a force of kindness and good in this world if I am to pay penance for my past crimes."

"Well, I think you'll make a _great_ cowgirl, Farmer Sats!"

 _"-sigh-_ "

* * *

Nonon arrived later that evening, doorbell jauntily announcing her presence.

"Hey."

"Hey…"

Nonon and Ryuko regarded each other silently, music lesson waiting for their visual gladiatorial combat to conclude.

"So."

"So…"

" _-sigh-_ You and Lady Satsuki, huh?"

"Yep."

"Hmm. I see. Hurt her, and I'll _kill_ you. Got it?"

"Yep."

"They won't find the body."

"Yep."

"Okay. Now that's out of the way, get out your guitar and impress me."

"Yes, Sensei Jakazure."`

It was not a confrontation for the record books, per se…save that it broke important ground and set the stage for Matoi Ryuko's own true heart's desire…that of acceptance.


	4. - Penance -

\- Penance -

A kiss.

Warmth.

A slippery, delicious electricity surge.

Dripping arousal stirs from deep within.

Ryuko draws back, hornier than she ever thought possible.

A harsh slap pushes away firm, tender sister-meat.

Her cruel mouth, still tingling from the buttery, delectable contact with quivering flesh, forms the words "Something to feel good about."

Through a hazy curtain of _infinite power,_ she gazes intently at the nubile fuck toy before her.

Harime Nui gazes back wordlessly, cobalt eye of desire gleaming in sudden submission before the overpowering gentle/rough claws that just caressed her chin.

Savage thoughts reel in Ryuko's fevered mind. ' _Speechless, of course. Heh…good! Why wouldn't she be? It's about time I shut her never-ending prattle-hole. A kiss for now…but endless meat-service will be served later, you little blonde rutting post_.'

She sets course, jettisoning slutty thoughts for murderous ones as her form streaks an arc of atmosphere-scorching red across the sky.

Words erupt from her jagged grin as sonic booms punctuate her delirious, fevered thoughts. "Now to kill the fucking Kiryuin family mistake. Should I rape her privately, or in front of all her friends? What do you say, Junketsu? What does my eldest deserve, hmm?''

Violent flashbulbs of cortisol and adrenaline explode in her adrenal cortex, gifts of liquid-steel rage orchestrated by the parasite. Images twist and warp in her mind's eye, to remind Ryuko of all the past indignation foisted upon her by that uppity whore.

"Yeah. You're _right_! It _will_ be more humiliating if I _torture_ her in front of everyone. The better to savor her fall, if I can crush them all by toppling that uptight _bitch_ in front of an audience!"

Flooded with overwhelming surges of endorphins, Ryuko rolls her eyes back into their sockets. Long chains of neuropeptides form and lash within her quivering brain jelly, a reward for being such an enthusiastic participant in Kiryuin Ragyo's march towards planetary catastrophe.

Ryuko's fiber-augmented senses expand exponentially outwards, pinpointing with ease the tiny hunk of metal that her sister's pitiful band of resistance fighters clung to in what she was about to arrange as their final moments.

She grins wildly, fists of titanium clenched as the hell-bent girl zeroes in on her target. "Here I come, sis! No foreplay, just coming in **hard**! _Brace yourself!_ "

* * *

Ryuko bolted upright, iron fingers clawing at her throat from the agonizing scream that could not escape. Terror bathed her in coldest fear-pain, sweat pouring down her steel-tense body in hot rivulets. Uncontrollably shaking hands pushed back damp locks of hair in panicked swipes.

She peered across the bed, over to the motionless form that outlined her sister's shape. Detecting no movement, the traumatized youth slipped out from under the sheets and padded her way silently down the hall. Darting out through a back entrance, she made her way to the estate's rear garden.

Moonlight faithfully guided her through a cold flagstone path to the garden's entrance: here, she sat down upon the ornate pink granite bench that awaited those fatigued souls who needed a moment's respite from their vast botanical tour.

She leaned over and plucked away a certain well-positioned stone to reveal a pack of cigarettes, which she desperately grabbed. She distantly noticed that her hand did all the shaking automatically as a single, stale tobacco tube fell out of the pack: no conscious effort was required.

Ryuko shivered in the night's chill as she struggled to spark the cheap lighter to do its work. Frantic pawing at the orange cylinder finally produced a flame as she greedily sucked in the first hot scorch of smoke.

The gleam from the cigarette could have been mistaken for a hyperactive (or perhaps drunk) firefly, as it was flicking and jolting about so much in her hands. She muttered to herself a panicked mantra of "Whatthe _fuck_. Whatthe _fuck_. Whatthe _fuck..._ " as she tried to pump the brakes harder, to no effect.

Ryuko pounded her thigh as she mumbled out loud "The fuck _was_ that? That was…real. That _happened_. I know it did. I remember now…what the _fuck_ did I almost  do? I was going to kill them _all_ …what the ever living fuck was I _thinking_ …?"

"It's not your fault, Ryuko." The voice, firm as it was somber, issued forth from a darkened corner of the precisely-shaped topiary wall. Satsuki emerged from the shadows, silk nightgown illuminated by the moon to appear as though a floating phantom was conjured by the dark nicotine ritual.

" _SHIT!_ " Ryuko spat as she compulsively flicked the cigarette away, as if to somehow deny her association with the offending object. Cold fear was flash-welded to guilt on the spot as she tried to mentally search the ol' 'caught-in-the-act' delinquent excuse stash and found it already emptied out onto the bench before Cigarette Police Commandant Kiryuin Satsuki.

"I'm so s-sorry, Sats! I c'n explain, I mean, I'm n-not…uhhh…" Her lips were not ready for words just yet, her nerves still raw from tonight's panicked hell. She pushed some hapless words out onto the stage anyways, hoping their awkward dance could somehow possibly cover for her innocence play's opening night jitters.

"Ryuko. Please _relax_. I've known about the smoking. I do not care about that right now…I care about _you_. Tell me what is wrong." Satsuki's voice was so steady, so reassuring in its tone. It was obviously a front for the death march that was sure to follow such a hideous act.

Ryuko clutched for straws, for utensils, hell, for anything that might dig her out of _this_ treacherous pit. "Wh-what do you mean? This is m-my first one? Why, I j-just wanted to try and see if-"

" _Matoi_. This is your eleventh cigarette since you moved in. Look down and tell me how many currently reside in that pack, please." The voice was resolute and demanded respect.

One eyeball furtively glanced inside the box. Nine speckled orange filter tips stared back, shrugging their guilty little shoulders at the cold, hard facts as they were presented.

"…shit." Ryuko crushed the box, grinding the pack into a pulverized body bag of powdered tobacco.

"Okay, onee-sama. Ya got me. I suck. Go ahead, lemme have it. I won't even defend myself. I deserve it…" Eyes cast down in shame, the full weight of guilt bore down hard with the knowledge that she had utterly failed her sister's faith in her…again.

Satsuki silently glided over to her sister's side, looking down upon her with a genuine look of concern. Ryuko's sad gaze lifted up to meet it, and Satsuki simply placed her hand behind the young girl's head and gently guided it to rest upon her own silken hip.

Ryuko submitted to the careful nudge, forehead leaning casually upon firmly toned flesh. She braced for the rebuke, the backhand, the chastisement…but none came. Just the sound of Satsuki's nails gently scratching against her scalp in a comforting rhythm.

Satsuki murmured quietly down to her troubled sister's shaggy mop. "You don't have to talk about it, you know. I _want_ you to…but I will _not_ force you. Not ever. I want you to know this."

"You…do not want _this_ poisoning your mind, too. Trust me." Ryuko robotically intoned.

"Perhaps. But perhaps I am immune to it already. Small doses of poison, taken over time, can build up a surprising tolerance. _You_ might be surprised, Ryuko."

A limp shrug signaled the surrender of Ryuko's already-weak nerve. "…fine. I…had a bad recollection."

Satsuki's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Do you mean that you had a 'nightmare', imouto? I awoke the moment I felt you shaking. I did not want to startle you, but I needed to know if you were okay…"

Ryuko growled, neck hair spontaneously raising in response to a cold prickle of goosebumps. "I know what I said. I _lived_ a nightmare. The dream I just has was only a recollection _from_ that nightmare. A memory, only just now working its way loose. CONK! Right on ya fuckin' head, idiot Matoi! Ain't that a bitch? The bitch known as Harime Nui."

Her elder sister grimaced: whatever this was, it could not have possibly been a wholesome or sane experience if Nui was involved. "Ah. The half-sister."

Ryuko spun around, canines gleaming dangerously from tautly retracted lips. "That _thing_ was no 'sister' of any kind! She was pure fuckin' evil! The th-things she did…made me _do_!"

"Do not mistake desire for facts. I would prefer to not regard her as anything but a sordid mistake of existence. Yet a blood relative she was, to both myself and you as well. She was of Ragyo's own flesh, as are we."

Sputtered words fell like molten slag from a white-hot crucible. "B-but she was a fucking monster! A fiber-birthed horror! You can't possibly _believe_ that she was actually our-"

"Ryuko, perception and reality are two different things. Yes, Harime was a twisted, pathetic wreck of a soul…a chimera of human form and evil intent. This does not change the status of her DNA, mangled though it was." She gripped Ryuko's shoulder gently, offering what comfort she could.

Satsuki's breathing was kept even, her mind a pure situational analysis machine. Adding her own bile to Ryuko's catharsis would not help anyone in the slightest. Besides, that's what the punching bag in the gymnasium is for, when her sibling wasn't around to witness it.

"After what _she_ did…? To you? To me…and everyone we love? You'll still consider her _blood_? Sats, fuck me fer askin', but why? It's okay to hate that venomous, cancerous, radioactive…vile…fuckin'… _cunt_!" Ryuko shook her fist, joints popping from the extreme pressure that was occurring within. Diamonds have formed from less pressure.

Kiryuin Satsuki spoke in her husky, carefully crafted monotone, passing down her own personal judgment of Harime Nui's existence. "In the end, I only felt _pity_ for that creature. She was created under the most horrifying of circumstances, a throwaway means to an end. Mother did not love her in the slightest. At that point, Mother could not love, or even conceive of love in any fashion."

Her jaw set in stone, she tried to preserve the rapport she was nurturing with her one beautiful sister, all while accurately describing the existential horror that was the other.

"Tell me, Ryuko. Do you know _why_ Nui acted the way she did? Have you ever considered that? Do you honestly believe that her actions were of any creature that experienced an actual human developmental cycle?" Satsuki pressed on, eager to make the point…and then never visit the subject again.

Ryuko shrugged, not understanding the point to this conversation, but playing along to humor her sister. When Satsuki's face took on _that_ expression…it was just better to weather the storm, rather than incur more wrath.

"She was _programmed_ that way, Ryuko. Do you think a life fiber womb could raise a child properly? Do you think _Ragyo_ could? No… _her_ mind was a wholly created template, formulated to represent the joyful, 'utterly-appreciative-of-all-things-French' daughter she never had."

Dead silence. Ryuko stood there, warring factions of hate, confusion and pain bringing her motions, both physical and mental, to an absolute zero standstill. No molecules moved at this temperature, just a steadfast, frozen glare as she waited for Satsuki to continue.

Satsuki confronted the legendary coiled stubbornness of Matoi Ryuko with only truth and honesty as her sword and shield. "Nui was a figment, a tool, a weapon, a placebo. She was a stand-in flesh puppet mechanism who was born, no… _manufactured_ unto several utilitarian roles. She was not born into a 'loving family environment' by any stretch of the imagination…she was conjured by technicians and sorcerers."

Satsuki answered Ryuko's wrinkled nose of disbelief with feint and parry. "I'm fairly certain…and I am not sure of the _exact_ mechanism employed by those unholy bastards who served Mother's every whim…but I _am_ certain that her personality was a poorly researched patchwork of neural/fiber hybrid programs. The wetware basis of which being that of an idealized 'perfect for Mother's twisted psyche and ego' concept, put forth into motion by clueless, soulless _idiots_. Why else would she act as though she was a poorly-animated ultra-cutesy cartoon character? Ryuko, she  was one."

Satsuki opened her hands outward in the general direction of Ryuko's seething steel-spring form, calculating in real-time the odds of either fury-driven explosion or emotional collapse. It was too difficult to divine which, so she subtly prepared her stance for both, either scenario being equally likely at this point.

"They stitched together a personality of sorts, based upon what they _thought_ Mother might appreciate. A little bit of tawdry eroticism here, a slavish desire to please Ragyo at all costs there, an entirely unhealthy dose of childish Lolita-fashioned 'cuteness'…but the human-loathing hatred? That came from _herself_."

Satsuki had a sudden, new-found respect for bull fighters and snake charmers. If she were a lesser being, a rivulet of urine might stain her silken gown at the pure, unadulterated fear of being this close to volcanic oblivion.

She hazily recalled once, as a child, of being too close to the train platform as the _Shinkansen_ rushed into the station. That inexorable pressure wave, that feeling of massively powerful _something_ …threatening to suction her away, writhing right next to her… _that_ dreadful feeling was here.

But she was Kiryuin Satsuki…and _nothing_ , be it creature, machine or threat of annihilation, would _ever_ cause her to break from her juggernaut progress. To waver even the slightest from rescuing her sister's soul. Upon pain, even, of death? **_So be it_** **.**

"I personally witnessed the transformation myself. It took them _years_ to mold her into the semblance of a functional 'human' being. It's as if they just…referenced a few choice articles on child development, Japanese fashion and sadism and stapled it together, just to get the damned thing out the _door_. They were quite incompetent, you see…so Mother took over the developmental aspects."

Satsuki allowed herself to show a slight, mirthless grin here. "As you can see, that didn't exactly…work out either. Ragyo instilled an overwhelmingly strong desire to please her own arrogant self within Nui, and somewhere inside all that nightmare creature's woven carcass…was a little human girl who only wanted to please her ' _Maman_ '. However, hating humans, she ended up despising that very part of herself. This manifested as a palpable distaste of the human race in general."

Satsuki regarded Ryuko with a sober eye. With trace amounts of hate contaminating her speech, she poured out a vial of emotional acid out for Ryuko to witness. "She never did get the 'mother's love' that she so desperately craved. I sincerely believe that this was what tipped her over…it drove Harime Nui absolutely, irrevocably _insane._ "

"Mother of the year… _to end all years_." Ryuko hissed, mouth not betraying any movement as she spoke. Satsuki shivered slightly, wondering exactly how much meaning Ryuko invested in crafting that line.

"One cannot join together human DNA and life fibers together at the molecular level without creating a paradox: a half-human, half-alien fusion where each half harbors a fundamentally different desire? Humans live to love, build, to grow. Life fibers live to subjugate, hijack, to destroy. An untenable yin and yang…unless the balance is skewed, yes?"

Ryuko looked down at Satsuki's hands, face contorted with a complex vortex of emotions vying to win the Battle for Matoi's Features. Anger and sadness locked in a bitter stalemate, she slowly slumped to her knees. She could not force herself to seek desperate refuge in those loving, warm arms…but also could not signal a decisive retreat to her quivering legs either.

Panic slithered in the back of Kiryuin Satsuki's thoughts: she spiked it to the floor without hesitation, as hesitation lost battles such as this. "Ryuko, I _need_ you to understand. You are, by far, more human than fiber. She was the _opposite_. You are love…she was hate. Yes, there is the other half within you, as there was in her as well. She _could not live_ in this world. _You can_. If you would but _trust yourself_."

Gear-shaped pupils dilated to the point where she could reach inside and caress the moon's entire reflection, Satsuki fell in love all over again at the sheer _beauty_ , the pure, raw element of being that was Matoi Ryuko, flesh of her flesh, heart of her heart.

"I…don' evr wanna hrt you, Sats. Yr too mportn'…love ya…too much…don…wan'…t-ta… _die_ wthout you in m' life…!" Ryuko chattered through shaking teeth, uncontrollably trembling muscles causing her speech to heedlessly disintegrate. She held onto herself, the only thing she could cling to right now without fear of utterly crushing it between freakishly strong hands.

Satsuki hoarsely whispered "Ryuko…" She was barely able to even force the word out through such a dry desert, said word nearly dying of dehydration before being discovered by Ryuko's strained hearing.

Ryuko detachedly observed of herself: her tears wouldn't come. They simply were not there. _Humans_ cry. That's what they do. That's why there was no moisture, breaking over the hills of her cheeks, racing down the long pass of her neck towards the valley of pale cleavage. That was her own pet theory, and the evidence was in.

It made sense now, why she was a hot-headed, savage, violent ball of fists. She was just a life support system for an alien fiber-beast, sent to snuff out _all_ life….for her _entire_ life.

* * *

Her hypothesis was undermined by a new observation in the field. It was witnessed that one Kiryuin Satsuki, previously thought to be utterly indomitable and adamantine in her will and posture…broke.

Brought to her own knees with a painful - _slap-_ of hard patellas against harder concrete, the beautiful specimen of inhuman courage fell victim to the very human phenomenon of heartbreak, laced with nuclear _panic_. Grimace of tear-slicked steel was joined to contorted mask of agony as she raised her grasping claws to her own chest.

Pained lungs wheezed out tortured jags of shrapnel, dashed together in a panicked message of desperation. " _No_ , 'Ry'ko, you…never. Never. Leave. Me. Can't… _die_. Don't leave…me…alone! I-d-do…any-thing…I love…"

Ryuko's eyes contracted, unable to compute the impossible image of _the_ almighty Kiryuin Satsuki…on her knees, clutching at her own chest… _begging_? For _what_? _Why_?

"S-Satsuki…wh-what the fuck are ya… _doin'_..? P-please don't do th-this? No, you don't _do_ this…ya can't? Not possible…? S-stop? Please, onee-sama…stop?" Her trembling fingers sought out Satsuki's own, clutching at the twitching digits as they clutched weakly at the air between them.

The fuse smoldered, sparkled, sputtered, caught…then went up all at once. "C-can't… _can't_! CAN'T! Can't LOSE YOU _AGAIN! Will_ _NOT_ _! Ryuko! I WILL NOT LOSE YOU EVER AGAIN!_ "

What started as a plea grew to a runway surge. Isotopes of repressed fear were atom-split by the singular failure of her mental shield surrounding the demon core of her life's compressed pain inside her.

Behind Satsuki's panic-overridden eyes, she saw not Ryuko as she was before her, stinking of tobacco and shame as she knelt before her. She witnessed her sister's incinerated corpse, stinking of burnt kamui and death as she re-entered the atmosphere before her.

Her worst-ever nightmare scenario, playing out now before her, utterly dwarfed whatever rape-fueled atrocities she had endured before this. She begged, pleaded, cajoled, offered her very _soul_ to whatever deity would take but a moment to pluck her dear sister's soul from the sky and deliver it to her own arms safely…but no god answered the call as the - _thrum_ \- of impact crashed into her body, informing her that all was _lost_ in that fateful moment.

The heat of shame mixed with the spray of guilt: a thermobaric reaction consumed all available oxygen in her taxed lungs as her mind reached auto-ignition temperature.

Satsuki stabbed frenzied limbs to the sky, screaming out " _HANG IN THERE!_ RYUKOOOO! _GYAAAAAAARRHHHHH-_ hhhhkktckh-k-k-t-" until her throat surpassed the ability to sustain such a savage note and failed altogether.

Whistled heaves issued forth from her ruined vocal cords, raw from overexertion. Hot tears flooded from unbelieving-open eyes, seeing, actually _seeing_ her beloved, long-lost, truly loved sister's form impact the unforgiving, cold ground.

Satsuki scrabbled at Ryuko's cold thighs weakly, trying to convince the powers that be to give her _just one more chance_ to save her beloved imouto-chan this time. Just _one_! Success would be  guaranteed! Victory was assured! Kiryuin Satsuki would _find a_ _way_!

Glistening blood trailed behind her shuffling kneecaps, skin ground and shredded from the unforgiving concrete. She pawed weakly at her sister's crumpled, chilly legs, baying drawn out barks of sobbed epithets at _whatever_ or _whoever_ allowed this atrocity to happen…knowing full well it was her own pitifully weak self who betrayed her.

* * *

Ryuko whispered weakly "Satsuki? I'm here…you _saved_ me, remember? S-Sats?...s-sis? Please?" as she hovered quaking hands above Satsuki's prostrate form, bowed down before her in what could easily be mistaken as worship. Fearing to make contact and cause another catastrophe, she nevertheless braved the current and gingerly nudged a shoulder.

Nothing. A harsh, repetitive squeaking sob was all that rewarded her effort.

"Oh, my god. Sats, what…what the fuck just happened? SATSUKI? WAKE UP! Please, you're _scaring_ me!" Ryuko shakily squeezed her sister's limp arm.

Still nothing. Fighting the urge to hyperventilate, and only succeeding in suppressing two-thirds of that, she reached over and rolled her sister's form over. A pale face, pinched into a crushed mess of weeping regret, lolled upwards to greet her own.

A gasp fired out, pulling the plug on the reservoir of tears Ryuko was so certain she no longer possessed. Huge braying sobs exploded from her throat as Ryuko grasped her dear onee-san's semi-conscious head.

"F-fuckin'…no…wh- _what 'm I gonna d-do_ …fuck! Stop it, asshole! She _needs_ you! Get yer shit  together!" Her coiled fist, famous for breaking dominion over her own fiber-woven mind, once again broke through to a saner Matoi as she bashed herself with a heavyweight punch.

Blood trickled down from one nostril. Ryuko snuffled it back as she soberly leaned over and carefully gathered the prone form of Kiryuin Satsuki in her embrace, then bolted for the mansion door.

With a velocity that would have earned her a cool ¥100,000 traffic violation on the German Autobahn, Ryuko bounded through the garden to the rear entrance. Deftly nudging the door open with her foot, Ryuko glided over to the nearest couch and gently set Satsuki's body down.

Head propped up onto a hastily-stuffed pillow, Ryuko leaned down and placed a gentle kiss down upon a clammy forehead. "I'll be right back, I promise. I'll _never_ be gone for good."

The solid _tump-tump-tump_ of piston-driven feet receded down the cavernous hall. Satsuki moaned, stirred and tossed. Her ears were the first to prick up out of her unconscious state, perceiving a far-off series of thuds, blurted curses and strange shuffling. Having nothing else to do in her current non-state, she idly focused upon the noises, wondering what they meant.

The solid _tump-tump-tump_ of piston-driven feet approached: Satsuki likened it to a rapid heartbeat. But somehow wooden. A wooden heart? What could that even be? Well, _that_ doesn't compute, Kiryuin. Try again?

She did, and heard the thudding noise grow closer. Nearby bookcases shook slightly, and her reassessment's next stab was that of an approaching earthquake. _No_ , I will not allow _that_. It would upset my bonsai tree. What else could it be, though? Think, idiot girl!

Listening once again, she distinctly heard the huffing and puffing of a…wolf. Oh, no. A wolf? Puffing? Not…pigs? Not more _pigs_? I can't stand pigs! Damned clothing wearing pigs! Oh, that will not do. I simply must get a broom. I will chase them away from Kiryuin Castle!

Gentle hands, behind head, eased onto…more soft pillows?

Well, that's nice. Pillows are nice. How did they get there, I wonder? I feel all floaty. Soft. Hands are rough. Female, can tell that much. But not rude. Kind. Loving? Felt…a chipped nail: index, left. Chewed. Just like Ryuko. Nail she nibbles when upset. Worried? Hmm.

 _Ryuko!_ Love! No…died. I saw it. I failed. FAILED. Fool. Weak. _Stupid_. Shame.  Die. Go to hell. _Deserve_ it. Can smell it. Fire. Brimstone. No…not that. More like… _tobacco_. Pig! Who would _dare_? In  my presence?

"…hey…Satsuki? Sweetie? Ya there for me? Hey, c'mon. I got somethin' for ya. C'mere, jus' lift up and drink this, take this pill please. Please? Okay, theeere ya go. 'Kay, now jus' oooone more pill. There, good. Good. Ssshhhhhhh. It's okay. I'm here. I'll take care of you…nee-san…"

Voice is _so_ familiar. Ryuko? _Has_ to be…unmistakable! But… how? She died. Saw it, clear as day. Ow. Heart pain. _Hurt._ Ow. No…stop. Please…too much! Too much…want to die. Die, stupid loser, who could not save Ryuko. Die.

 _Wait…_ Kiryuin? What if…I _am_ dead? Yes… yes! Makes perfect sense. Ryuko's voice. Love. Soft. Floaty. _Heaven._ Afterlife. Yes! So happy. _Need_ to see her again. Worth it. _All_ worth it, if I see her again.

Must. Open. Eyes. See Ryuko. Happy. Ow.

Lights. Open eyes. Ow. Can see form. Shape like feathery hair, red streak hanging down…- _gasp_ -! _RYUKO!_ You're here! Oh, I'm so _very_ happy, my beautiful imouto-san!

It was worth it. Everything I did. _Everything._ To see you again. Don't care what it took. Worth the world to me. Forever.

"Heyyy, sleepy head! I'm sooo glad you're awake. You scared the living _shit_ out of me! I was afraid that you-aw, no, stop it, nee-san. No crying, okay? _Please_? No need for  that now…come on, now. I'm right here, yes, me. Ryuko. Remember? You _saved_ me. Yup, ya did. You saved me…and ya keep on doing it, too. I mus' be worth somethin', else you'da put me out fer the recycling bin, right?"

Satsuki blearily focused upon the nose, then eyes, then the huge grin of a rather alive-looking Matoi Ryuko. Her eyes twitched, crossed momentarily, then came back in sharp animated focus as they took in the welcome sight of a happily beaming Ryuko.

"Whass…whass up? My…beautiful angel? I'm so sorry, my imouto. So sorry…failed you." Satsuki burbled weakly, tears dripping down to form ticklish pools of annoyance in her delicate ears.

Ryuko wiped away sneaky tears of her own, giggling even as she cocked her head quizzically at the off remark. "Sorry fer wha'? Ya mean, worryin' me to _death_? Yeah, tha's true."

Satsuki struggled up, grabbing at Ryuko as fresh moisture replenished itself in her eyes. "Death? S'true? Dead? No, please, no! NO!" Her panic rose sharply, then quickly crashed into a fuzzy dome ceiling of…not able to panic. She tried again, to raise the ire of…nope. She just felt…woozy. Fuzzy. Unfocused. Her eyelids felt the tremendous pull of gravity. It was, for some odd reason or another, bullying her into closing her eyes and laying back down.

"Don't ask about where I got it, or even why I have it. You're feelin' the Solanax and acetaminophen I gave ya, okay? I can't take the risk of another panic attack like that one, okay? Please don't be mad…I didn't know what else to do, Sats…okay? I freaked out…"

Satsuki shrugged, laying back and surrendering to the pillow's comfort. Heroically fighting the drowsiness that burned at her mind's edge, she mumbled an urgent plea. "Ryuko…you are alive? For real…alive?"

"Alive. For _real_ , Satsy-kins. Here to royally piss ya off…forever, you _hear_ me? I love you… _forever._ "

A nod, jerky but obviously pleased. "Forever…" she mumbled as Morpheus stole her away for a trip to 'No Dreams Today, Sorry': Brought to you by tranquilizers!"

* * *

"Ow."

"Stay still, okay? I'm almost done."

"Yes, of course. I apologize. It's just that this edge here, sticking out? Well…it simply has to go. The skin will catch and interfere with my woolen dress slacks, I can tell. Let me just…there."

"Sats! Dammit! Now it's bleeding even more! I only brought so much gauze, ya dummy!"

"It was for the best. Now, there will not be such an unsightly lump."

"Oh, sure. Jus' rip it right off, why don'cha?"

"Well, as you can plainly see…I just did."

"God _DAMMIT_! Stop hurting yourself! _I'm_ in charge here, got it? Ya wanna go over to the Mankanshoku Clinic? Eh? I can just drop your ungrateful ass right on the doorstep."

"No, no…that's…quite all right."

"Yeah? I'm sure Doctor Mankanshoku would just _jump_ at the chance to tend _this_ hot little pair of knees…"

"I don't want to impose."

"He won't mind."

"It's too early in the morning to go there."

"Clinic is open twenty four hours, Satsuki."

"Rush hour would be starting up soon. It would take an inordinate amount of time to-"

"I c'n _run_ ya there in less than fifteen minutes."

"You wouldn't…"

"You _know_ I would."

"- _tch_ \- Very well."

"That's right. Now _stay there_. Nurse Matoi's got this!"

"Very - _nfff_ \- well."

"Sorry. There's little rocks in there. I gotta pick 'em out. You don't think these are broken, do ya?"

"Mmm, no. A broken kneecap hurts much more than this. Merely flesh wounds, abrasions. Nothing more."

"Oh. Well, that's a relief. Never broke my kneecap before. That would suck!"

"Mm. It did."

"Did'ja need surgery?"

"Oh, no. It was just a stable vertical fracture. I needed to be more mindful of my front leg's placement while in that stance, anyways. It was a valuable lesson."

"Yeah. And ya learn to keep yer fists up high for defense, especially when throwing a punch. Lost a tooth, learning that. Only a baby tooth, but still. Oh, and to not bend yer wrist while punching… _yeah_ , that's a nice first lesson. Earned a fractured wrist."

"True. Pain _is_ an excellent teacher. Always track your opponents, _always_ plan a minimum of three steps ahead. A broken collarbone awaits if you fail to do so."

"Yup, been there. Cracked sternum, too."

"Mmm. Dislocated shoulders, as well."

"Oh, I _hate_ it when that happens! You have ta either find someone who ain't squeamish to help pop that sucker back in there, or do it yerself with a wall or something. Yeah, walls were the only helpers I could count on in those days. Man, _that_ was irritating."

"I agree. As is a broken toe. You wouldn't suspect such a small part of one's anatomy could produce _that_ much distraction, yet there it is, pulsing away. Throwing off your concentration and aim."

"Yeah, that's _right_! Or when you break _all_ your fingers and have to rely on your forehead to finish the fight?"

"I…cannot say that I have experienced this."

"Aw…well, you ain't missing much there. 'Cept fer a huge headache and tryin' to live off soup for a week 'cause ya can't use chopsticks an' everyone's too scared to help ya eat!"

"Imouto…I'm so sorry."

"Aw, c'mon. It made me tough! I'm a frickin' tank, no pain stops me, right? Heh…I mean, it gets better results, ya know? Bein' feared as an unstoppable ass kicker can sometimes be more useful than bein' loved as a suck-off artist, ya know?"

"I am unfamiliar with the term? Please explain."

"Oh…um…well, ya see…I - _ahem_ \- maybe got tired of bein' bumped from school to school and wanted to try to take a different approach. To, y'know…being accepted, or maybe making friends. Or just maybe I was sick of getting the shit kicked out of me every day, every place I went. So, instead of seeking out the top dog and making him my bitch like I _usually_ did, I…uh…well…you know."

"No, I do not 'know'. What did you do, pay them off? I can't imagine you had any assets to your name at that point in time?"

"Well, um…'paying them off' isn't the exact term I would use…heh-heh-heh…sorta close, though?

"Ryuko, I do not understand? What happened?"

"L-look, you weren't _there_. It made sense at the time…plus I was starting to kinda like guys for more than just punching and kicking practice, y know? So I…ah, kinda blew them a few times."

"A-are you referring to oral sex?"

"- _sigh_ \- Yes, I am and…SO WHAT? It' didn't work out anyways. Ya do that, and they start to lord over ya. Like they've won. It was a mistake, _all right_? I went back to the ass kicking pretty quickly, but I still had _that_ stigma hanging over me until I moved on again to yet another school."

"I used to need attention, _any_ attention. Father never provided any at all…hell, I'm not even sure he actually loved me, of if I was just a means to an end, like Nui in some weird way. A useful tool of revenge…I've done shameful, degrading things. Ass kicking got more respect, better results. A tiny bit of affection just ain't worth the shame afterwards."

"But then Senketsu bonded with me, and for the first time I felt truly accepted by someone who _knew_ who I was, knew my innermost thoughts…and loved me _anyways_. He was there for me _all the time_. So yeah, when he died, a big part of me did as well. I thought I'd have ta go back to the way I was before…but then… _you_. Now you are taking that role."

"I wasn't judging you, Matoi. Please understand this. I know how you feel."

"How? Were _you_ sucking cock for some attention,  too?"

"No. I was murdering people for my mother."

"…what?"

"You heard me."

"…I didn't know _that_. I-"

"Of course you didn't. _No one did_. Mother demanded _absolute_ loyalty. Sometimes I had to…prove it."

"Buh-but…I mean, who did-"

"Certain REVOCS competitors. Holdouts. Resistance to hostile takeovers, instigators of monopolistic lawsuits, that sort of thing. Mercy was secretly arranged when I was able, certainly. But…sometimes it was simply not feasible. Ragyo had eyes and ears _everywhere_. So…people died."

"…o-oh. I'm so sorry. No, I- _sorry_ just doesn't even begin to cover it…Sats-"

"Ryuko. I will be spending the rest of my life paying my penance. I'm not just guilty of harboring ambition…of using people as a means to an end. I have done much, much worse. A friend once said to me that I had done evil things, but was not myself evil. Perhaps the day will come when I can say this and believe it. It does not change the fact that I _am_ a _murderer_."

"Satsuki. I can't speak to what I might have done in your place. I may have done the same, or even worse. We'll never know. But one thing I do know? You didn't have much of a choice. Not since you were little. This isn't your fault. It's _hers_. You _know_ this. I ain't askin'…I'm _tellin_ '. You _cannot_ blame yourself for this."

"Ah. Were it that easy…"

"I didn't say ' _easy_ '! God _dammit_! Satsuki, we don't get ' _easy'_! _We_ never did! Never  will! I ain't askin' ya to just snap some fingers and say ' _Poof! All gone, tee hee!_ ' like that! If it _was_ ever that easy? Then yes, you  would be a fucking monster like _her_ …but you are _not_! Ya  hear me, Kiryuin? If anything, this makes so much more _sense_ , for why you act the way you do! This… _this_ is proof that you are blessedly _normal_!"

"I would not use _that_ word to-"

"I KNOW WHAT WORD I USED! Dammit, this…all of this. I feel like I finally understand."

"Then I would understand if you no longer wish to associate with me."

* _SMACK_ *

"Ah! Ryuko! How-how _DARE_ you-"

"SHADDAP, YA SHIT HEAD! Get it THROUGH that stubborn, thick, beautiful, gorgeous, irritating SKULL of yours! I fucking LOVE you! _GET IT_? I _need_ you! I don't care what ya did! It's just another problem to solve! I'll FIND a way! You mean too much to me! _You mean EVERYTHING to me!_ Stop hinting at any future that doesn't have us both _together_ in it! I'LL DIE BEFORE I ALLOW THAT TO PASS!"

"…I…I see."

"Are ya _SURE_? Maybe I gotta yell at ya some  more, really get my _point_ across?"

"No, I have received the message. I absolutely understand."

"Okay. Well, then. Now _that's_ out of the way…move over."

"All right? What are you-"

"I need to snuggle. You scared the crap out of me. So now you owe me love…and attention, and a kiss, and a foot rub, and a pizza."

"All that? Really? This is a hefty fine, I fear. Must it be paid all at once?"

"Naw, course not. Pizza ain't until _tonight_. Movie date night! Cancel yer Roomba lesson or whatever."

"Ah, that's 'Zumba'."

" _Whatever_. No, I'll take the love and attention now, and you can pay installments as you go on the rest."

"I find this to be fair. I truly am sorry for the way I behaved. I would never even think of hurting or scaring you."

"Yeah, well…I'm sorry I yelled at you. Oh, and smacked you. Really sorry about that. We are pretty fucked up. Y'know? It's to be expected, I guess. When two incredibly sexy high school girls use sentient armor aliens to save the planet from a hyper-evil rainbow-tarded super bitch and her life-threatening home economics sewing projects, I guess life might be a bit…weird?"

"Well, Ryuko…when you put it _that_ way…"

"Heh, yeah. Weird is our way of life. May as well get used to it."

"Perhaps."

"Mmm, yep."

"Imouto?"

"Yeah, sis?"

"Why the smoking?"

"Force of habit. You think I could try and hang with a gang of juvenile delinquents and _not_ pick up smoking? It's like the 'tough guy' rite of passage or somethin'. Shit, obviously I found a lot of embarrassing things to _suck on_ in school, yeah?"

"Hey. Sshhh…don't."

"Sorry."

"It's okay. Oh, and please _do_ brush your teeth before requesting the kiss balance in my ledger. Your nicotine breath is atrocious."

"Yeah, uh…smoking is kinda nasty. I'll do that, I promise."

"Thank you. Is it most appreciated."

"'Kay. Hey Sats, you know what _else_ I promise?"

"What's that, Ryuko?"

"To never, _ever_ leave you. No matter what."

"…that…that would be nice as well - _sniff_ -."

"Hey, c-mon. None of that. Just…enjoy this, 'kay?"

"O-okay. I'll - _sniff_ \- try. I promise."

"Deal."

"…deal…"

"Hey, Sats?"

"Hmm?"

"Yer boobs make the _best_ damned pillows. Like heaven, y'know?"

"Yes. _Heaven._ Soft. Floaty. I know."

"Mmm, right on. Love ya."

"Love you, too. My _angel_."

"…aw."


	5. - Balance -

-Balance-

"Respect is earned, not given. However, I can assure you that everyone in our immediate social circle will, in time, identify you as one of their own. You saved the _world_ , Ryuko!"

"Do I get a medal?"

"…do you _want_ one?"

"Eh. It would make my tits cold. No, that's not what I want."

"Then what _is_ it you wish for, exactly?"

"A chance to be accepted. Respected! Maybe to not have ' _Transfer Student: Grade C, for humiliation purposes only, not for human consumption'_ stamped in red letters on my forehead?"

"…yes, I understand how upsetting this has been, I truly do. Howeve-"

"Plus, I'd appreciate it if I wasn't called 'abandoned' _anything_ , like I was left in REVOCS' hazardous waste recycling bin or something. Like, gee thanks…hold _that_ against me. Although…I guess that _is_ technically true…?"

"Matoi! Do not say such things! They don't mean it like th-"

"If they want a cactus, they'll _get_ one! Or maybe…a tarantula! Y'know, one of those huge, hairy jungle spiders or whatever? Yeah, I read once that they're all covered in these sensitive hairs, and blowing on them _really_ pisses them off! So they rise up and show these huge, super cool fangs… juf wike _diff_ , fee, Fafski?"

"Yes, I know what manner of creature they are. Please retract your 'fangs', dear."

"Yeah! So, they keep blowin' on me, and I keep showin' my fangs…actually, wait. No. Never mind, that sounded way cooler in my head. Maybe it's like I'm a snake, all coiled up and ready to…? No, Nonon claimed that one, dammit. Ooh! Maybe like an angry _tiger_..."

"Or perhaps a jackass? Ryuko, I know perfectly well how you feel. I want to assist you, but you just need to hear me out. Can't you at least be frank in our discussion about your perceived status? A modicum of patience can pay handsome dividends, if you could only show some _interest_!"

"Hey…that was a financial joke. Pretty clever, sis."

"Gods above. I may have accidentally attempted humor. I must have been infected by you and the power of your puns."

"Ha! More like the power of my _buns_! They are epic, aren't they? Oh, look: the ass of a champion! Maybe I should get a medal for  that, hmm?"

"Oh no, Ryuko. I fear that it might make your posterior too cold after I was done... _awarding_ it, yes?"

"Eh-heh-heh-heh...ah... _yeahokayshuttingupnow_."

Satsuki sighed, finding threats of weaponized medal insertion to be an undignified manner with which to make a point. Yet if the opponent was Matoi 'Slippery Conversational Eel' Ryuko? Then all methods at her disposal had to be employed, distasteful or not.

The verbal tennis match went on; logical volleys were served and immediately lobbed back with stubborn persistence. So far, this match wasn't going to end up with love for either participant.

"Look, Japanese culture is hard to avoid, Ryuko. It is _very_ judgmental. If you stand out, you get noticed...and if something is out of place, you usually gets ostracized as a result. I know you need a safe haven, and you will _always_ have one here with me...but there are some things you just need to try to handle more delicately if you wish for them to bear friendly fruit. You truly do reap what you sow."

Ryoko's glazed eyes rolled heroically, struggling against the titanic weight of disinterest. "Yeah, well I don't give a shit about most people. I just want to, I dunno... _not_ be the easy target when your buddies come around?"

Lips pursed with concern, Satsuki let another steam-burst of mild annoyance escape her nose: the torque of her patience was inexorable, but purging was necessary to avoid regretfully phrased retorts. "I realize that the Devas are a somewhat...exclusive group. They had to work together, plan together, scheme together, all in utmost secrecy. It is natural for them to have cultivated a sense of camaraderie that is not easily infiltrated."

Ryuko locked eyes with her sister, a trace of disdain etched on her brow. "You were a Deva too, oh pretty one. Don't you lay the blame solely at _their_ feet. You were their master, the one who set the tone."

Satsuki's eyes narrowed to slits. "The only tone I set was one of absolute obedience. You _know_ why. Only the very best could be relied upon for superior results. I trained hard, and expected no less of my soldiers. Discipline is the only fire that creates the kind of steel I needed for _my_ purposes."

Matoi Ryuko leaned back in her patio chair, sipping cold lemonade through a delicious smirk as she tilted back her baseball cap. Dropping her sunglasses down, she eyeballed Satsuki's firmly set jaw. "Mmm. Discipline. Only the best for yer crew, right? Gamagōri sure showed up for _his_ full dose, didn't he?"

A large straw hat was pushed back from Satsuki's forehead, revealing piercing blue eyes that peeked out from behind her own dark sunglasses. "I did _not_ share in his predilections. He was predisposed to his…desires long before I recruited him."

"Uh huh. I'm sure your supreme bitch attitude had absolutely _nothing_ to do with his willingness to be your footstool." Blue eyes danced, thoroughly enjoying the subtle traces of frustration that glimmered in their counterparts.

"Do you enjoy being boiled down to a single insulting concept, _little abandoned girl_? Because you're doing the same thing to him right now. Insulting him because of something you don't understand. I pose to you a question: do you respect Gamagōri?"

Ryuko flinched, her nose wrinkling from the sudden sting in her sister's razor commentary. "Wh-well…I uh…guess? Maybe? I mean, he's _such_ a hard-ass though…"

Satsuki crafted a leering smile, presented it to Ryuko, and topped it off with a delicate bow. "I'm a hard-ass, dear…and you _fuck_ me."

Face blushing hard, Ryuko suddenly noticed her nipples were even harder. "B-but that different! Y-you, I mean…maybe I like it when ya take control, but, this is, I mean I…that's…you don't _beat_ me like a crazed maniac!"

Satsuki tilted her head back to give Ryuko the full ' _Kiryuin is looking down upon you, behave yourself'_ look that she spent years wielding as a perfectly crafted intimidation tactic. "Oh, I see. So I _don't_ cause you pain? Delicious, exquisite pain…that I know you absolutely love? That you _crave_ , and beg for in explicit detail? So you _weren't_ on your hands and knees just the other night, lips quivering and shaking as you presented your gorgeous little bottom up for me to smack? Hmm? Oh, and you _don't_ purposely sass me in bed just to trigger that disciplinary action that you  know I'll administrate upon you in deserved fashion? _Really_ , Matoi?"

Ryuko discovered at this point that life fibers simply cannot allow her own body to shrink and hide in a pocket like her scissors once did. Instead, she squeaked out a feeble "Umm, that's so…different?"

A sardonic grin swept across Satsuki's face, enjoying pushing her sibling's buttons as much as she enjoyed…well, pushing her other ones. "I carefully selected my lieutenants for battle, Matoi. I knew their each and every strength and weakness and planned accordingly. Personality bolstered talent, in every single case. Yes, Gamagōri is every bit as vicious to himself as Jakazure is to others…how else could I be certain that he could handle the vast punishment required of being my impenetrable shield?"

Ryuko puffed up her reddened cheeks, her bravado attempting to chase away embarrassment. "Yah? Well, _I_ penetrated it! You remember that, huh?"

"Of course I do. He needed to be reminded of his hubris. I knew he would fall to you that day."

"Aw, bull _shit_ , Kiryuin Satsuki! You couldn't have foreseen all _that_ playin' out as it did?"

"Indeed, I _did_. Remember this, Ryuko. I am not a gambler….I am a tactician. I observe, plan and calculate. I stay at least three steps ahead of my opponent, _no matter what_. This is crucial, and has always been for me."

"Oh yeah? Fine, smarty pants…then what'm I-"

"You briefly considered throwing your drink's lemon slice at me, just recently. I saw you judging the distance between it and my face. You then reconsidered, because if I had received any lemon juice in my eyes, it could have actually injured me."

"Hmph. Well…lucky guess. So-"

"Next, you thought of kicking my chair. Had I not subtly placed my shin in front of the chair leg nearest to your obviously poised foot, you would have certainly enjoyed my 'startled' expression. Once again, you are not looking to cause me actual injury, just comedic shock and inconvenience. I tactically denied you of this opportunity anyway."

"Wh-buh-"

"I also observed you attempting to nonchalantly fish an ice cube out from your glass. This frozen annoyance would most likely have made its way into my up-until-recently exposed cleavage. One blouse adjustment later, of course, and your easy target was denied."

"Rrrr-"

"Oh, and at this exact moment you are about to rely upon your 'secret weapon'. Sticking your tongue out at me with bratty defiance."

Ryuko's jaw froze, as the tip of her secret weapon was caught protruding out from her lips. It then suddenly changed course and suavely worked its way around her teeth, looking for any excuse it could find.

The sulking teen leaned back into her chair, busying herself with folding a paper napkin into her specialty: an origami boulder. "Y'can't prove a _thing_. Just hearsay and guesses, s'all."

"Well, for being just 'hearsay and guesswork', I'd say that we _were_ and still _are_ extraordinarily lucky, then…right, imouto-san?" Satsuki rested her smug chin on splayed fingers, leaning on the patio table as she rested her case as well.

"Mmm. I guess."

Satsuki leaned back into her chair, enjoying warmth from both the sun and her latest victory's glow. "So. Since you're obviously in such a verbose mood, we can continue with what I was saying before. Do you trust Ira?"

Ryuko rolled her eyes. "Well… _-tch-_ Yeah, I _guess_ so…I wouldn't let him anywhere near Mako if I didn't…so what?"

"So…perhaps you should forgive people their eccentricities if you wish for them to provide any leeway in regards to your own. Gamagōri is a good example of respect stemming from how you project yourself. He suffered when he was growing up due to his being half American, yet he became a wall of steadfast honor and determination anyways."

Satsuki took off her sunglasses and fixed her younger sibling with a resolute gaze, meant to drive home the seriousness of her point. "People may take him to be a twisted fool…but no one I've _ever_ known can say that he isn't a trustworthy or respectable soul. Isn't that the very same attitude you wish to garner amongst our compatriots, Ryuko? To have them look past your _own_ origins and see who you _really_ are?"

Ryuko's frown told Satsuki all she needed to know…she had given the troubled young girl enough food for thought to choke a philosopher.

Ryuko rolled luminescent crimson locks between her fingertips slowly as she pondered her elder sister's provocative words. "I'll bet the hate he got made him adapt to the pain by deciding to thrive on it. I can relate to _that_ , I guess…he _is_ obsessed with purity, probably why he worships you so much, Sats. He feels…impure. Born tainted. Wants to beat it out of himself, no pun intended…"

She suddenly perked up, eyes alight as a realization made itself known. Fingers snapped in excitement as she blurted out "Oh, _yeah_! I found out where he gets his more interesting…uhh…'equipment'…some joint called 'Belmont's Leather Emporium'. We should totally go someday and get our  own fun stuff!"

Satsuki wanted answers to nagging questions more than she was tempted to ogle her sister's latest strap-on catalogue at this particular moment, so the conversation's steering wheel was seized once again. "So…what about you and Mako? The date? You never did make it clear to me exactly what happened between the two of you. I would like to know, if you are comfortable with discussing it…?"

Ryuko smiled an awkward grin, and rather shyly offered her own take. "It was a bit of fun, but nothing really came of it…we're too close as friends to really travel down that road, it's kinda hard to describe? I dunno. Besides, she's too busy riding Gamagōri like a show pony these days…wanna see a picture?"

Satsuki, her face a contorted mask of shocked horror, admonished her sibling's gross negligence. " _Matoi_! How _dare_ you invade their privacy, their most _sacred_ union-"

"SHADDAP AND _LOOK_ _, TIGHT-ASS_!" the young Matoi shouted as she shoved her phone into Kiryuin Satsuki's reddening visage. Her eyes involuntarily focused and couldn't help but to take in the perplexing image…a fuzzy brown head, slobbering over an enormous, curved…no… _wait_.

This was not an image of close friends, caught ' _in flagrante delicto_ ', but rather the picture of a…hamster? Nibbling on the tip of a banana? What the hell was _this_ supposed to mean?

A hamster. Eating a banana. Never has such an innocuous image wrought such hilarious destruction upon the psyche of a legendary warrior of Kiryuin Satsuki's stature. It shocked right through her righteous reactive armor as effectively as a HESH round (High-explosive sudden hilarity, in this particular case) might do in the field of tank warfare.

Satsuki was indignant at first, her volatile inferno of admonition doused out so succinctly by Ryuko's admittedly perfect (though Satsuki would _never_ admit this to anyone else) comedy timing. Then heartfelt laughter, tears and aching sides ganged up on the sisters, pummeling them both into wheezing submission.

Satsuki wiped tears from the corners of her mirthfully overwhelmed eyes. " _Ah_! Ah…hah…oh, my! You had me there, Ryuko…I will admit to this. You…you _bested me_ , dearest imouto-chan. My sincerest congratulations. Oh, oh…that _picture_ …!"

"Yeah, I kinda thought that might crack through yer stuffy armor plating! Heh! I adapt, and I sneak in and _getcha_ when yer least expectin' it, right? It's what I do, Kiryuin!" Ryuko beamed, enjoying the sweet taste of recorded-for-posterity-and-gloating-purposes-later _victory_ over her obsessively perfectionist sibling.

"It is, dear heart. Oh, I _do_ appreciate the effort, Ryuko. I know I'm not the most…joyful person to interact with, so I thank you for your patience. You do seem to put up with me and my sour nature…"

"Hey, I enjoy eating lemons! Why wouldn't I enjoy eating you as well, _sourpuss_?"

Ryuko quickly switched hummingbird feeders, leaving the rare 'victory-over-her-sister' supply to suckle greedily from the even rarer 'Satsuki-embarrassed-into-absolute-silence' spot that just opened up.

Ryuko's quiet giggles turned into outright gleeful hysterics when she followed up that comment with "Aw, I'm just _kiddin'_ , Satsuki. Your puss tastes like the sweetest honey, I _swear_!" This prompted a full bashfulness-fueled retreat from the utterly defeated warlord, shrieks of requested mercy accompanying her into the mansion's surrounding woods, post-haste.

The horny red-shocked hunter followed her quarry into the bush, yelling out "You can run, Satsuki…but you'll just orgasm _tired_!"

"Aaaugh! No more! Please!"

* _whumf_ *

"Ha- _ha_! You have been captured! I take _no_ prisoners! Prepare to be sentenced, victim!"

"No! I will not be defeated! You shall - _mmf_ \- glean no satisfaction from this! I - _ah_ \- swear upon my _honor_!"

"Oh, you'll swear. That, I _promise_! And I am _on her_! Now, about these shorts of yours. I noticed they're so… _short..._ "

"Ryuko, I will - _ahn_ \- not… _rrrr_ , get off!"

"That's the idea, baby! _Get off_ …how shall I count the ways, hmm?"

"You…utterly _-huff-_ crude… _barbarian_!"

" _Rrr_ -heh, me Ryuko capture wandering hot lady in her territory! Me Ryuko wonder, what in _these_ shorts…? Hmm, hot lady?"

"Matoi?! Are you… _brain damaged_?"

"Well, sis…after all these years of multiple concussions and broken bones and stuff? All those hits I took to the head from…lesse here…bricks, bats, fists, feet, stones, bike tires, chains, glass bottles and one time I think it was…an actual lawn mower? Yeah, I probably _am_ brain damaged. Do you…want me to stop? Like, for real? I'm not gonna…you know…I mean, uhh, I wasn't tryin' to…I jus' wanna make you feel good. Like, in a spontaneous way? If yer not feelin' it, I mean, I totally underst- _mmmf_!"

"Shut up and get _busy_. You have work to do, my little secret weapon."

"H-holy crud! I mean- _what the hell, that's the fastest I've ever seen anyone take off their shor_ ts…wow, yer soakin' wet- _mmmmrff_!"

"Why are you still _talking_ , dear? You should be _licking_ …here, use that unending taunting power and convert it into another mouth-worthy exercise! AH! Yes! That's it, get-AHH! YES! AH! MMMmmmm-"

" _mmmllmmmlllmmmrrmmmmmmmmmnn_ needtobreathe!okaytherewegonow backto _MMM_ _ **MNNM**_ _MMmmmmm_ -"

" _Nyah! Hah!_ I d-don't give up that easily, Matoi! You'll have to - _huff_ \- t-try harder than _that_ to get Kiryuin Satsuki to - _ah!_ \- budge from her position as - _ohgods_ \- s-supreme lady of her domain! You hear m-me, you _ruffian_?! You d-don't scare me! I'll - _huffhuffhuff_ \- w-win in a c-contest of wills!"

" _RRRrrrr_ finetakethisyermajesty _mmmmnnnMMM_ _ **MMMM**_ _MM_ -"

"AH! I -w-will not yield! -ah! Ah! Ah! **AH**! **_AH_**! **No**! N-not _yet_! You - _heff_ \- haven't eaten-I mean _b-_ _ **beaten**_ me, Ryuko! I'll - _huhhuffhuffhuff_ \- withstand your most _vicious_ assault!"

" _MMMMNMMMMrrrrmfff_ grabmyhair _rrrrrrrmmmnnnnn_ yeahlikethat _ohhhmmmmMMMMmmm_ yesmakemeworkforit _MMMMmmmmmnnn_ ohyespullharderohfuckyeahfuckfuck _mmmnnmmmMMMM_ -"

"You can try, but you c-cannot defeat m-me!"

"Mmm-hmm…"

"I will reign supreme!"

"Mmm-hmm…"

"I, Kiryuin Satsuk-k-k-oh-oh-oh-OH-uh-uh-uh-UH- **UH**!"

"Mmm-hmm…"

"M-My will issss strongerrr-Ryukoooo-OOOH _GODS_ -AHH- **AH**! **_AH_**! I'm c-c-comiiIIIING **GG** G! NY-GAAAH! **GAAAHHHH!** ** _AAHHHHHH! AHHHHHH!_** **_MATOIII RYUKOOOO_** _oooooooO_ _ **O**_ _Oooooooh_ _ **GODS**_ thatwassimplyamazingthankyousomuch."

" _Bwuh_ -Th-Thatthki? I tink…ya mighta acthally bwoke my _neck_ …an' cwuthed my jaw. An' mah cheekboneths aw buthted…an' mebbe even thevered mah tongue? Ow? Evrythin' _hurths_ naow? Ow? Oww…?"

"Ryuko, honey...shush! Just _relax_ …you do heal rather quickly from even the gravest of injuries, these days…"

"…aw."

* * *

Brushing leaves and other detritus from her recomposed self, Kiryuin Satsuki strode from the heated wilderness confrontation with a bright smile. Limping behind her was the brave and heroic Matoi Ryuko, herself the (very) sore winner of their latest sibling encounter.

Satsuki cheerfully quipped "How does it feel, Ryuko? To finally win unconditionally over my very own self in a contest of sheer might and prowess?"

Ryuko shrugged weakly and mumbled "Kinda numb, really."

Satsuki faux-pouted and teased her impetuous competition. "Aw, come on…you're not fiercely proud, after finally defeating me? Personally, I'm _thrilled_! You have grown _so much_ as a worthy opponent!"

Ryuko shrugged again. "No, I jus' meant that I'm numb. Like, I can't feel my _face_."

Satsuki smirked. "Ah, yes. The power of my Kegel exercises…they are to be feared, yes?"

"Yes…"

"You will, perhaps, not take their power so lightly in the future, hmm?"

"Yes…"

'Perhaps I should have given you fair warning…that those, in combination with my fanatical devotion to stomach crunches and yoga, make me a _top-tier_ opponent, yes?"

"Yes…"

"Ah…so perhaps next time, I might be paid the _respect_ I am owed in this arena, yes?"

"Yes…oh high and mighty priestess of weaponized orgasm warfare. I beseech thee for mercy next time."

"Oh, come now, Matoi. This is what it feels like to defeat me in combat! Isn't it _glorious_?"

"If I could feel _anything_ from the shoulders up right now, I'd let ya know, Sats…"

"Well, I personally don't know what I was thinking all these years, my aversion to losing the occasional bout. I might even do it more often. I truly _enjoyed_ this loss, my dear imouto-san!"

"Oi…I'm supposed to be way stronger than you!"

"Why yes, Ryuko. You certainly _are_ …by a considerable margin. I certainly cannot leave _my_ fingerprints in a steel car door handle, as you have managed to do recently."

"I _said_ I was sorry! Jeez!"

"The apology was certainly accepted, as well. I _do_ understand the full scope of these challenges in being such a uniquely equipped being, my love."

"Okay, fine. So…what would that have done to a _normal_ human, then? Are ya some kind of serial orgasm killer, huh?"

"No, Ryuko. No one has _ever_ made me feel that way. You, and you _alone_ , have brought me…sexual comfort. I did not ever expect to… _ever_ enjoy this…love you have bestowed upon me. I felt as though I would pass away from this world without ever f-feeling…I was _certain_ that I would die for my crimes, unloved and unrewarded. Cursed f-forever by my evil family name…I-I d-don't deserve this! I don't deserve _you_!"

"Hey! Stop it! We talked about this! You know that just _ain't_ true!"

"I-b-but I just think-"

"Satsuki! Come _on_! Remember what we talked about, okay? Breathe, count, breathe? Come on, with me, please? You promised me. Do it fer  me, 'kay?"

"O-okay, I'm s-sorry, Ryuko…I-"

" _Breathe_?"

"Ahh…hahhh…"

"Okay, good…count?"

"O-one."

"Good, now…?"

"B-breathe…"

"Right. Now…?"

"Ahhh…hahhh…two."

"Good, keep going…"

"Ahh…hahhh. Three."

"Awesome, you're doing great!"

"Ahh…hahhh. Four."

"Good, good!"

"Ahh…hahhh. Five."

"Love you."

"I love you, too. Six.

"Okay. Feel a little bit better?"

"Yes. I do. Seven. I'm sorry. I-"

"Shh. _No_ apologies. Remember? It's not somethin' you ever need to be sorry about, right?"

"Yes, of course."

" _Whose_ fault is it?"

"M-my f-fau-"

" _Satsuki_."

"Sorry. _H-hers_. It's  her fault."

"Yes. That's right. It's _her_ fault. Ragyo's fault. _Not_ Satsuki's, okay?"

"Yes. O-of course. You are correct. Yes."

"We _beat_ her, Sats. We're gonna _keep on_ beating her. _Every_ day. Right?"

"Yes! We did…and we will. We will."

"Yeah! We will. Together, always. You _and_ me, Sats."

"Ryuko…I simply couldn't live without you."

"Yeah? Well, ya won't ever have to! Imma stick around and bug yer beautiful ass for _evah_!"

"Okay. I'd like that."

"Why, me too! What a _coincidence_!"

"You are so silly."

"I'll cover the silly. You cover the sexy. Deal?"

"O-okay. But you're sexy, too."

"Oh, hell, I know! Look at this fuckin' ass? Right? Oh, _so_ damn perfect! And these epic titties, standin' up all proud and wiggly! Man, lookit them jiggle! - _whap_ \- See that? Them's firm as hell! Prime Grade-A breasts, they are! They take a lickin' and keep on tickin'! Right, Superbrows? Huh? Eh? Shlurp, shlurp?"

"Oh, for the love of- _MATOI_!"

"Whaat? I can't fight back with my weapons of ass confusion? These legs of luuurve? These nipples of perplexity?"

"No. That last one sounds like something Mikisugi might do."

"Aw, hell. You're _right_. Ewwww. I creeped myself ouuut..."

"Well, Ryuko, what's next? Are you going to take advantage of yourself now? It wouldn't be the _first_ time this week."

"Whaaaat? I never? I would _never_ -"

"Tuesday morning. Laundry room. On the washer."

"…oh. Eh-heh-heh…it was all bumpy and tingly. I couldn't help it. I'm so damned _hot_ …"

"Tuesday morning. Again. Laundry room. On the dryer."

"…it was, um…warm and buzzy? Come _on_ , Sats! Don't look at me like that…it was all vibraty and I was so bored!"

"I try to teach you responsibility and you turn it into a masturbatory _circus_."

"- _gasp_ \- Is..is that a real _thing_? That would be so cool to watch! Those Circus du Soleil chicks, goin' at it above the crowd?"

"No, it's _not_ a 'thing'! At least, I'm reasonably certain that it's probably not a...thing? I have seen the Cirque troupe perform...their _Zed_ performance was quite intriguing. However, I perceived no specifically erotic content as it was presented, per se. Also, they are not a 'circus'...they are a theatrical production. So, to insinuate that they are merely-"

"Oi, forget it! I jus' wanna think of 'em dangling above me, doing all sorts of sexy flexy magic...hey! I'll bet _you_ could pull off some of those routines! You're pretty Olympic in all respects. Oh yeah, I'd loooove to watch you do some sexy ninja rope tricks!"

"Matoi. _You_ are the one who would perhaps enjoy being bound, not me. I…have had quite enough of being suspended by any sort of restraints. _Never again_."

"Aw! But- _oh_. Oh, no. Nee-san…I'm  so sorry. I forgot about… _that_. I didn't mean-"

"Pay it no mind. What's done is done."

"Yeah…m' still sorry, though."

* * *

The pair made their way inside, spent from the day's frolicking. Their solemn journey ended in the master den, each resting upon luxuriously appointed recliners as the sun's last pastel hues slipped under the horizon.

Scarcely had they begun to allow gravity to shape their own hollowed nests when Ryuko bolted up, fingers snapping like a tiny sonic boom.

"Oh, heck! I forgot! I got ya somethin'! Be right back!" she blurted as her instantaneous transformation to ' _hey-that-blur-kind-of-looks-like-Matoi_ ' once again made her impossible to track by mere human eyes.

Said eyes now rolling in tired dismissal, Satsuki shrugged and wriggled deeper into her expansive leather seat. She closed her eyes, then flexed her lithe legs, mentally feeling for any ailments of note. " _Tired. Sore. Must remember to stretch properly before being pursued by a superhuman love barbarian. Triggered a slight calf cramp while manipulating Matoi's head between legs. Must be ready for her anytime, anywhere._ "

Satsuki smirked to herself, pondering her daily self-analysis and performance assessment results. " _Orgasmed notably quicker than normal today. Able to let go of fears more efficiently now: situational mechanism suspected, needs more…study for solid conclusions. Hmm. Should be rewarding._ "

A subtle change in air pressure was all that announced Ryuko's presence in the room. " _That girl can be frighteningly quiet, when she wants to be…_ " Satsuki observed as her sister slid up to her recliner's side.

Ryuko gently whispered "Tah dahhh!" and held out two wine glasses, paired with a slender bottle of wine. "I thought maybe you might appreciate this, it's called 'ice wine'. I don't know a lot about wines and stuff, but it sounds really cool…so I got some for ya to try! It's German!"

"Ah, I see. This was most thoughtful of you, imouto-san. Ice wine is traditionally a dessert beverage, but I will indulge before dinner this time…if you will join me?"

Ryuko's eyes sparkled with mischievous energy. "Ooh, _dessert_ wine? Well, I _just_ ate, so I guess it'll be okay!"

A brief blush assailed the young Kiryuin's face, but the humorous assault went unanswered as she leaned forward to pour some wine into each glass. What once would have sent her into paroxysms of baffling paralysis were now but light breezes, since the barrage of embarrassment-tipped needling was now fully expected and reliably _constant_.

Satsuki regarded the bottle briefly, examining the label for vintage particulars. "Ah, a particularly fine German Eiswein. Interesting. This is a rather…expensive item, dear. Does this mean you have _finally_ located the company credit card I entrusted to your care weeks ago?"

Ryuko blinked nervously, scratching the back of her neck as she admitted to the contrary. "Uh…not exaaaactly. I mean, I'm almost positive it's in my pants! Well, one of my pairs, anyways. Somewhere in the laundry room. Or the gaming room…or maybe the garage? Oh! It could _also_ be in the pair I left in the downstairs bathroom…"

One eyebrow raised slowly, an antenna of inquisitiveness that always managed to wring the truth out from the responsibility-challenged youth. "Do we need to embark upon yet _another '_ dirty clothes safari', Ryuko? Last time, I found a sneaker _in the fireplace_ , three socks upon the master bedroom's ceiling fan blades, and a blue and white striped brassiere embedded in one of the study's heating vents! I swear, I still have no idea how _that_ actually happened!"

"Oh, heh-heh-heh…I have an idea 'bout _that_ one…casualty of love and war, that was. B-but never mind, I'll gather everything up tomorrow, I _promise_! Let's just enjoy this nice wine and relax, 'kay?" Ryuko's endearing grin was enough to cause the Kiryuin interrogation spotlight to withdraw from her form.

Kiryuin Satsuki's firmly held jaw framed her inquisitive stare. "Very well. I shall hold you to this promise. You are honor bound to follow through with that, understood? I shall let this pass… _if_ you inform me how you managed to purchase this rather expensive wine?"

Caught in the classic 'logic and guilt' pincers maneuver, Matoi Ryuko ceded her ground without a struggle. "I bought it with my own money."

"Huuoo…? This is not indicative of your financial standing when you moved in? What has changed, Ryuko? Did you secretly obtain steady employment while I wasn't looking?" Satsuki didn't want to let slip her questionably-gained insider knowledge of Ryuko's newly-found wealth just yet…but if she were to proffer the information voluntarily? So much the better.

A serious cloud overcast the young girl's boisterous mood. "I…aw, hell. No reason to keep it from ya any more…he was _your_ dad, too. They finally settled all the issues from our father's estate. Okay, Satsuki? The 'powers that be' finally got the cork outta their asses about Dad's death and cleared me of any suspicious wrongdoing. They released his financial holdings to me last month, once I was able to get my damned identity papers that Inumuta managed to scrape up from the ruins of his lab. Good thing Dad had a fireproof safe, right? Now the government _finally_ believes I'm his actual daughter, ya know?"

Her somewhat grim countenance tinged with sorrow, Ryuko somberly muttered "Now that Dad's estate has finally been settled, I'll never have to go without again…"

Satsuki took a polite sip of the wine, the sweetness of the liquid contrasting with the bitterness of her own private thoughts on the matter. "I…see. I was not aware of these proceedings. Why didn't you tell me, let me assist you? The company's lawyers surely could have cleared up such a trivial matter in a-"

Ryuko's teeth ground with a clatter. "Trivial? Fuck _you_ , Kiryuin. This was about Dad's honor! He deserved _better_! I didn't want to come crawling to you…have to let my rich sister handle everything, as usual! _My_ fight didn't end with Ragyo's death, you know. I need to preserve his memory…and defend what little honor I have left in having his name, as _fake_ as it is. It's all I've really got now t-to remember him by, now that his scissor blades are somewhere at the bottom of Tokyo Bay under tons of rubble, ya know? Just…a false name."

Satsuki gasped, the venom's unexpected sting surprising her into fumbling words. "R-Ryuko! I'm _s-sorry_! I didn't mean…I didn't  know! Please! I meant no disrespect, surely you _know_ this? I would never…your name means _so_ much to me! Please, I beg your forgiveness!"

Her head bowed low in her lap, shining black hair surrounding the wine glass clutched in her hands. Satsuki stayed that way, unable to look up until her clumsy apology was accepted.

Eyes pinched shut, Ryuko slowly relaxed her grip on her own wine glass, the glass itself mere milliseconds from bursting into shattered fragments. She shakily took a small sip of the wine, breathing steadily returning to normal as the sweet beverage settled onto her sugar-loving palate.

"Hey, this stuff ain't bad. It's pretty tasty." Ryuko muttered, her monotone statement belying no actual enthusiasm for the wine's flavor. One final exhalation of air blasted from her nostrils, then she opened her eyes and looked at her sister's still-bowing head.

" _I'm_ sorry. Sats, please stop that. I was wrong for not including you. He was your father, too. I shoulda let you in on it. I just…didn't want to stress you out, ya know? You've got _so much_ to worry about already with yer job, I figured I could handle this mess. Not like _I_ have a job, right? I could handle a bunch of pissant cops and asshole lawyers, I guess?"

Satsuki looked up slowly, gathering appropriate words and crafting them into a succinct observation. "Why not mention your wealth? I would perceive you no differently, you know."

Steel fingers rubbed against granite chin, deep thoughts assailing the young Matoi's mood. "Yeah, well…money changed Mako's family. I won't repeat those mistakes. I need to _earn_ everyone's respect, and redeem myself to you. I know money's not going to change how you perceive me, only my improving behavior will ever do that…if I can ever even pull off _that_ feat."

"Ryuko…you need not redeem yourself in my eyes. You are my soul's very own _hero_ , forever more. However, now that I notice it…your language _has_ been changing as of late. You've been giving up on more learned decorum, slipping back to delinquent phrasing and talk. Why is this, imouto?"

A shrug stated the simplicity of Ryuko's expressed attitude. "Why bother with decorum…or even a career? I'll always have to hide anyways, or else people will discover my powers and we'll be harassed for…well, _forever_. So I apparently saved the world, now what? Still got no _place_ in it, it seems. God only knows..."

"Ah. Which one?"

"I dunno. The one that destroys shit. Avenging and destroying, the only things I'm really good at, right?"

"…Shiva?"

"Sure, him. Why not? I've been burned enough to want to _end_ this world, at times…I doubt I'll ever _really_ find a true place in it, other than ' _popular target of ridicule_ '."

"True wisdom is less presuming than folly. The wise man doubteth often, and changeth his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubteth not; he knoweth all things but his own ignorance."

"Ah…okay. Who said _that_ , Confucius or somethin'?"

"No. Akhenaton. Egyptian pharaoh."

"Oh. Of _course_."

"Ryuko, please...just-"

"Oi, hold on. I have...other stuff that I should clear up with you, okay? I'm not, like, sayin' I've been _lying_ to you, Satsuki...but I ain't exactly been level with ya, either. So...just promise ya ain't gonna be mad at me, huh?"

"I cannot 'promise' you anything...only a fool would agree to such conditions. What _exactly_ did you do?"

"Okay, look. I made a deal with Inumuta's research lab. I've been...um...selling life fiber samples to them. But before ya get all mad at me, lemme explain _why_ I'm doing it, okay?"

"...go on."

"Right, so Inumuta brought up the subject to me: that life fibers are possibly the key to creating some kind of next generation aerospace material, and I guess I was thinking about what Ragyo said to me before she ended her own life: that the fibers would be back someday to conquer this planet, _no matter what_. So I guess I want to make a difference, ya know? To help get us up there, someday...so we can take on those fuckers on more even terms."

"Matoi Ryuko. This is most noble and honorable of you. You are showing concern for our species' future. _Our_ species…me _and_ you. Humans. You see? You aren't a scourge. You are, once again, leading us to salvation!"

"Well, I don't know about _that_ , Satsuki. But ya know what? I've been _up there_ , sis. It's so beautiful. I couldn't help but look down upon this big, blue marble and believe that it's something worth protecting. After all, everyone I love is here…and I'll be damned before I let those stringy fuckers ruin it all again!"

"Yes. I have heard from Inumuta that our recent aerospace division spinoff _is_ doing rather well. It would appear that you are to be thanked for this opportunity, yes? Funny how those that once came from the stars are now helping us to go to the stars ourselves…to take the battle to _them_ , one day? Perhaps they have seeded their own doom, in time."

"That's what I was thinkin'! I don't want all this to be in vain, y'know? I mean, I _wanted_ to tell everyone what was goin' on, but Inumuta figured that it wasn't a good idea to blab that kind of info to everyone within earshot. Somethin' about insider trading, or corporate and industry secrets, I guess?"

"I agree that this was a wise choice. In fact, if word of your importance to this particular research ever got out, you might be the target for kidnapping, or even worse. Hmm. Perhaps we should seek to increase the mansion's security detail? Yes, I do believe that I could secure Kinagase Tsumugu for this undertaking…"

"Oi, so I'm supposed to become some top secret asset? Look, I just want real friends, not bodyguards!"

"No, this will be merely precautionary. Look, as far as your place in our social circle is concerned…everyone is rude and disrespectful in part because _you_ are. I have talked to some of them, and will converse with the others in due time. They owe me, and I will call in any favor necessary to smooth your transition over."

"Sometimes change is necessary, Ryuko. You need to become better at being respectful to others and they will treat you in kind. I myself have to learn to interact with people as _people_ now, not resources. My ' _Steel Queen_ ' persona was useful, and it is still useful in the corporate boardroom. Women have to try twice as hard to be taken seriously in business matters, believe me."

"I have had to learn this piece of wisdom recently, and you should as well: just _talk_ to them, seek out their counsel. You might be surprised as to their innate wisdom…regardless of their constant internal bickering, there _is_ a mutual thread of respect amongst them. There is a reason that they were chosen as my most trusted inner circle, imouto-san! You just need to come to trust them as well….and perhaps forgive them of their trespasses upon your soul."

* * *

Ryuko had, in a manner of speaking, already tested this theory to a certain extent…according to her own rigorous scientific methodology, of course. She had once approached the test subjects and graded their responses, according to her own sense of innate coolness.

The selected control phrase for this social experiment was from one of her favorite movies: acting as her own personal spirit animal (the Terminator), Ryuko would slowly approach the target and in her gruffest voice, utter the phrase "I need ya clothes, ya boots an' yuh modacycle."

Reactions were recorded as follows:

Kiryuin Satsuki: "Take whatever you wish, imouto-san. You know, of course, that I do not _personally_ possess one of those infernal death traps, yes? Is this your way of asking for a new one? Perhaps an arrangement can be reached, my love. Come to bed with me and we can…discuss it."

Soroi Mitsuzō: "I am so _terribly_ sorry, Lady Ryuko. I'm afraid I left that lifestyle behind when I started to serve the Kiryuins. Ah, those _were_ the days. Why, I remember one time it was just me and my old trusty Meguro J3 Junior, all 250 CCs of that raw power at my disposal, just roaming the countryside…"

Iori Shirō: " _-tsk-_ Matoi, I simply need more _notice_ if you are to have me create such articles for you! Also, don't you already _have_ a motorcycle? I can only sew  clothing-related miracles!"

Mankanshoku Mako: " _-gasp!-_ I looove that movie! Ryuko-chaaaan! Let's go watch it agaaain! We can get popcorn and soda and Pocky and licorice and peanuts and chocolate and pizza and lemonade and ice cream! Come on, come on, come on, let's _gogogo_!"

Sanageyama Uzu: "Ehh? Is that a _challenge_? Are you challenging  me? Finally! En garde! Hyaaaa!"

Inumuta Hōka:" You need to brush up on your accent, Matoi. He's Austrian, not terminally brain-damaged. Well… _probably_ not brain-damaged, anyways."

Jakazure Nonon: "Nani sore? I'll give you a 'boot', you idiot. _Bend over_!"

Hōōmaru Rei: "Fill out these request forms in triplicate. Get Lady Kiryuin to sign off on it. You know the company rules."

Gamagōri Ira: A size 54 leather jacket (XXXXL) was plopped onto her head, followed by size 37 work boots, placed neatly at her feet. "My deepest apologies, I do not currently have a motorcycle at my disposal, Ryuko-sama. Please forgive me."

This moment in particular stuck out in her memory. Hilarious joke-missing was apparently Ira's forte, yet the tone underneath his baritone mumbling was noted to be one of genuine respect. Such an attitude always stood out to her: respect served towards her own self was a rare occurrence, and she had an innate sense of whether it was genuine, or laced with ulterior motives.

Ryuko had visited his garage, mostly for the purposes of investigating his intentions towards Mako…and possibly threatening evisceration if she deduced any sort of duplicitousness from the giant.

Walking into the main work bay area, the teen was preoccupied with stepping around dusty, sand-covered patches of oily residue and various greasy mechanical projects of an indeterminate nature. The distracting sounds of clanking and welding in the air, she hadn't noticed the figure standing before her until an object was placed upon her ruffled mass of hair.

From within the newly cast shadow that enveloped her, she blinked up towards the towering blonde manager and mechanic known as Gamagōri Ira. "Visitors entering the repair bay area _must_ wear a hard hat at all times. These are the  rules, set forth and faithfully upheld by myself, Automotive Garage Manager Gamagōri Ira!"

"Heh heh, yeah, of course. I wouldn't dream of exposing yer shop to any liability, right? Even though my head's hard enough as it is…it's cool." Ryuko blithely muttered. Ira grunted, satisfied that his authority was not being disputed in his current domain.

Gamagōri crossed his massive arms. "What may I assist you with today, Matoi? Are you perhaps in need of automotive repairs?"

"Aw, no, nothin' like that. I just wanted to hang out here for a while, see what you were doin' fer tinkering. You seem to always be holed up in this place on the weekends, and I figured you must have some cool project or somethin' cooking. I just…wanted to sneak a peek?"

A modicum of disbelief rippled across his stern features. "You wanted to 'hang out'… _here_? In such a filthy and chaotic workplace? This is _not_ the place for one such as yourself, Matoi? A lady should take care to avoid such an unclean environment…it is, perhaps, also a dangerous place. Degrading work such as this should be left to the menfolk."

Arms akimbo, the young Matoi - _floofed_ \- her crimson locks from her forehead with a blast of indignant air from her pursed lips. "Oi! This ain't a 'foreign danger zone' fer _me_ , ya pig iron mountain! I'm a grease monkey _too_ , I'll have you know! I've bored and stroked my own bike's engine!"

Head cocking back in surprise, Ira studied the jutting jaw and slitted eyes of Matoi Ryuko. Sensing no trace of joke or subterfuge, he relaxed his posture slightly. "I was unaware of your mechanical proclivities. You are adept in the ways of engine repair and modification?"

"Yeah, well…I learn fast. It's cheaper for me to fix it myself. Plus, I can modify stuff to my liking."

"Ah! You are quite correct! This is the very root of my own observations as well!" Gamagōri swept one tree-trunk arm back to gesture towards his personal engine bay. "Please, Lady Ryuko! Join me so that we may discuss such philosophies!"

Ryuko grimaced as she trotted towards the bay. "This better not be an actual philosophy lesson. It's bad enough that I read that ' _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_ ' book, only to _still_ not know how to actually gap the stupid spark plugs properly!"

Gamagōri emitted a hearty laugh. "HA! A fine book! However, not one I would recommend to use as a reference for actual maintenance purposes!"

A pink 1959 Cadillac Eldorado stared at Ryuko as she entered the bay, winking due to some missing headlights. A tarp covered one fender, various parts of the upper engine assembly methodically placed at even intervals along the open hood. From the fine layer of dust, it was obvious to her that it had been this way for a while.

Ryuko swept her head back and forth, gauging how far along it was in the rebuild. "Ooh, your car…it wasn't fixed after it was all shot up when you gave me and Mako a ride? How come?"

Gamagōri shook his head. "Unfortunately, parts for such a beautiful specimen of American class are hard to come by here. I have had to bide my time, purchasing as I go. There aren't many of _her_ type around anymore, even in the United States!"

Ryuko frowned, her mouth gawping open as she mentally calculated the parts needed to get her roadworthy again…and wincing at the suspected total cost.

"Ira? Um…there's a lot that needs to be done here. The body repairs can maybe be done here, sure…but some of these parts will be really hard to replace! These trim pieces, here…these still have holes in them…how are ya gonna do this, huh? These'll cost ya a mint to track down!"

"I am aware of the cost, Matoi. I care not for the monetary hardship. She is worth it, and nothing will stop me from bringing her back to her full glory! _Nothing!_ "

He caressed one mangled chrome trim piece, feeling every pockmark and chip along the way. "My devotion to her is absolute. I will allow nothing to prevent her from regaining her luster! To roam the highways, once more!"

He stopped just then, drawing himself up to his full, impressive height. "However…I currently have more pressing responsibilities. Duties! To my family. To my work, both here and at the metal works. They are, of course, _more_ important. So…she waits for me. She understands."

Ryuko cocked one eye up to his blusterous display. "Aw… _responsibilities_. To Mako, too?"

Gamagōri placed one hand upon his chest, earnestness swelling in his voice. "To her, most of all. A blessing has been placed upon me for meeting her. She understands me, forgives me for my evil ways. Mankanshoku Mako gives me hope that my soul may be salvageable yet."

Ryuko couldn't have been more surprised if Gamagōri had just announced his intent to join a leather-free priesthood. "A-are you for real? You care for her _that_ much?"

His solemn bow spoke loudly, but his booming voice was even louder. "She is a godsend, sent from on high to _save_ me! Mankanshoku Mako possesses an _infinite_ wealth of love, and capacity for healing!  This I have come to acknowledge! My devotion to her is absolute. I will allow nothing to prevent her from being the happiest woman _ever_! _Nothing!_ "

"Well, no kidding…I _know_ that she's all made of love and stuff, sheesh…" Ryuko said weakly, flabbergasted being an understatement at this point.

Gamagōri's eyebrows twitched, and he fixed Ryuko with a laser-tight focus of concentration. In a gravelly voice that would freeze molten lead, he sonorously rumbled "Have you come here to probe my intentions towards her, Matoi?"

Ryuko fumbled around, spraying words much like over-shaken soda all around Satsuki's kitchen floor. "Wha-aat? _Me?_ Aw, _-pssht-_ come on, big guy…I would never even _think_ of committing such a dirty, underhanded, deceptive…okay, _yes_. I did."

Gamagōri Ira leaned forward menacingly, appearing as though he was a massive redwood being felled by a long-laboring lumberjack. "This is… _good_ , Matoi Ryuko-sama. It does swell my heart with pride, to know that Mako's love garners such protective endeavors from her closest supporters. It is something _I_ would do, given the circumstances!"

Snarling towards the monstrous mechanic before her, she rolled up one sleeve as she spat out "Good, then understand _these_ circumstances: if you hurt her in any way, _I will fucking kill you_."

Ira glowered down upon the crimson-tinged death bringer, not cowed in the least. "If this ever comes to pass, Matoi…I would _want you to fulfill this promise_."

Sleeve smoothed out, she sauntered away, pleased with the results of her covert operations. "Fine, then. Now that we understand each other, I'll let you get back to your work."

Heading out the garage door, she lingered back to fire off a parting shot. "Oi! Ira! Take good care of her! Ya _unnerstand_ me?"

"I would have you promise the same for Lady Satsuki. I know you love her…as much as I do my Lady Mankanshoku!"

"Eh? W-well, of course…? She's my-"

"I _know_ what she is to you, Matoi. I understand…c _ompletely_. Her and I _do_ still communicate, you see. Your warning applies to _your_ position as well, you understand?"

"Y-yeah…I g-get it."

"See that you do. Take care of her, Matoi. Treasure her! She is the very rarest of precious souls…treat her as such! For I wish not upon anyone the misery of experiencing such heaven…and then letting her go."

"Yeah. Thanks. I _know_. See ya around, Ira."

"Fare well, Matoi Ryuko-sama. My garage is ever open to you and yours!"

* * *

"Gamagōri's car was imported from America, you know. It cost more to import than to actually _buy_ it! But he fixed it himself, and wouldn't accept financial assistance from myself. He outright refused. He is _very_ prideful."

Satsuki finished the last of her wine, the sweet liquid pleasantly warming her belly.

Ryuko grinned the slightest of grins. "Uh, yeah, I know. Ira is…okay, I guess. I've got no problem with him, really."

"Oh? I see. Perhaps you have seen a brief glimpse of the man _behind_ the bondage armor, hmm?" She reached over and lovingly squeezed Ryuko's forearm, enjoying the feel of goosebumps elicited by the caress of her gentle touch.

Eyes rolling, Ryuko playfully swatted at the probing hand. "Aw come on, Satsuki. He was only _really_ a jackass to me when he was bitching and moaning about my 'wasted potential' and 'rule breaking' stuff…and I can't really go holding _that_ against him. I mean, it's pretty much the same thing _you_ always do, and I really can't resent  you for that, right? Well, I can get kinda _annoyed_ , sure, but…I know you kinda only want what's best fer me. I guess. Whatever."

Satsuki smirked, heated cheeks showing the wine's influence on her speech and mannerisms. "I know what you'd hear, asking Gamagōri for advice…" Her voice dropped down to its huskiest rasp as she projected the puffing chest and ramrod posture of the masochistic disciplinarian.

"Let me see…he would say something like this: 'Follow the rules, or be noticed and get pounded down! Shame upon your family honor and yourself! Through discipline, all is attainable. If you cannot be reliable and steadfast, why would anyone trust you?' Is this what he said, more or less?"

Matoi Ryuko stared at the slightly tipsy aspiring actress, unsure as to exactly how to proceed. Clapping at such an eerily accurate performance was discarded for a slightly more mischievous proposition. "Um…not exactly, but I can sure see him saying it like that! So…what do you think Nonon would say if I asked her for advice?"

Satsuki obliged, eager to have Ryuko to continue pondering the situation at hand, and perhaps not quite perceiving the innocuous hook in the verbal bait laid out before her. "Ah! So Jakazure would sound like this: 'I just want people to get on _my_ level. No excuses for those who don't give their best performance, every time. You can't be a solo act forever! You have to learn to listen to the other instruments and focus on the composition as a whole…or the music will be shit for everyone!' There. How did that sound, imouto? Nasally enough?"

Ryuko choked her laughter, beat it into submission and deposited it behind her willpower for future reference. Taking on the role of eager student, she pressed on to perhaps squeeze another glorious turn from her sibling's alcohol-driven performance.

"That was…perfect! Oi! I wonder what Uzu might say if I asked _him_? Gosh, I can't imagine what  he'd say…"

"Asking Sanageyama Uzu for advice? Oh, I've actually heard this one in person! Lemme see, what did he say? Ah, yes…someone asked him something like 'Doesn't it bother you, the endless 'wild monkey' sniping thing?' And he responded with 'I am true to myself, nothing else matters! Opinions are like assholes: everyone's got one…but very few deserve actual consideration!' I think he then…attacked the person and threw them into a wall. Yeah, that sounds right. Classic hothead, he was! Not so much anymore, since he's had his ass handed to him by the two most kick-ass chicks in the entire world. Rrrright, Matoi?"

Cheerfully clamped down grin held back monstrous chuckling. "Of _course_ , Sats! Totally true. We have his number, all right. Hey, who _wouldn't_ have a weakness fer asses like ours, eh? I know _I_ do!"

Satsuki giggled to herself, eyebrows arched high over deliriously closed eyelids. "Oh, _yes_. I would agree. A finely shaped bottom is a wonder to behold! I find it quite soothing to watch _your_ little Anjou pear ass from across the room, when you don't know I'm watching. I like to observe when your thong creeps up around your glutes when you bend over, and I just want to…nibble them away with my teeth! Then, I'd _bend_ you over and just make you my little-"

Her hands froze just then, finding themselves groping around her own breasts in a not-entirely-subtle manner. Her lustful smile fell forward, tripping over the arriving sobriety that was now sticking out like a haphazardly-placed rake to smash into her face.

"I… _-ahem-_ I'm doing it _again_ , aren't I?" Eyeballs darted around under tightly shut lids, afraid to confirm what her trespassing hands already whispered to her.

A snort rang out, gleeful and proud as Ryuko soaked in Satsuki's embarrassment glow. "Uh-oh…did the wine go to your head? Betray your thoughts out loud? Man, I swear, that stuff is like truth serum to ya! Between that and yer telling eyebrow-a-pillars, I can read ya like a _book_ now!"

Eyes flashing open, a most unmerry twinkle made itself known within her bitter glance. " _Enough_ about the damned eyebrows! Perhaps I'll get them reshaped and thinned by a beautician, then? Eradicate them so they cannot draw any more of your fire?"

Jaw dropping, Ryuko flinched at the very idea. "Don't you _dare_ , Satsuki! I…I love them! They're so…very expressive. They're my very own Satsuki attitude detectors! I would sooner cut off my red streak! Ya hear me! I'll do it! If I have to take my own _hair_ hostage, I will! Step away from the brows, Kiryuin!"

Satsuki sighed, not willing to press forward in this pointless battle. She would have to settle for being a prisoner of war, poked and prodded humorously until she could find a way to escape and turn the mirth back upon her captor.

"You are the catalyst, Ryuko…the unforeseeable element triggering an unstable reaction within me; I am out of sorts as a result. Adjusting to these new feelings takes time. You…win. I shall not defend myself against this assault any longer."

Ryuko hesitated just then, unsure what to make of this most unexpected lack of resistance. "Sats…I'm sorry. I didn't mean ta…shit, I ain't _attacking_ you, I'm just, I dunno…loving you in my own way, I guess? You know that,  right?"

Satsuki shrugged weakly; blushing was taking her entire blood supply to feed, leaving naught to power any sort of rational thought on the matter.

Ryuko reached out and dutifully traced one set of lethal Kiryuin knuckles. "Look, I gotta warn ya…I have to press the advantage in whatever arena I can. I know when I'm outclassed, and class is somethin' ya got in spades, Kiryuin Satsuki. I have never battled a more beautiful, talented, and determined opponent in every damned challenge I have ever tried to take on! So…yeah, I gotta fight dirty. This is the _one_ time I can actually best you, so let me have this bit of fun, 'kay? I just  know that once ya get used to this, I'll be having my ass handed to me in our _verbal_ sparring, too!"

Satsuki's wandering eyes came back to their rightful home within gear-spoked irises of azure. The sting of her distress was now quelled in these pools of soothing cerulean: quiet surrender was subtly agreed upon, in exchange for the dropping of verbal lances and arrows.

"For everyone _else_ , it is a post-COVERS world. To _us_ , it's a post-Ragyo world. Going forward, I would seek to make this world the most inhospitable environment possible to her and her ilk. One of love and understanding...it was the antidote to her savage treachery, then and now."

She took Ryuko's hand in both of hers, locking gazes to properly communicate her earnestness in due fashion. Satsuki held the calloused digits to her cheek as she offered up private thoughts to her beloved.

"I need to change…to be very best person I can be for everyone, but most of all for _you_. I need to be the exact opposite of Ragyo…not a cruel bitch, but a welcoming _lover_. I cannot allow such silly teasing get in the way of our future. I…did not brook much in the way of extraneous silliness before, but that was _her_ way. The ' _Steel Queen's_ ' way. I am her…no longer. I am just Satsuki. I will learn to be this person you require, and decipher the ways of 'teasing warfare', as I am now realizing that it is just a method of showing one's affection that uses feigned indignance and irritation to state one's true intentions. In fact, I… _oh my god_."

Ryuko panicked, wondering what calamity was occurring behind her back. "What? What is it, what's happening now? I'll kill 'em all!" She flailed around, looking for the source of the sinister utterance.

Satsuki stared at the wall, contemplating a newly discovered pattern that simply could not be comprehended as a mystery now, it was so _obvious_. She turned her stunned face to her sister and whispered in a quiet and steady tone "I believe that Jakuzure Nonon might be attracted to Sanageyama Uzu."

Ryuko awarded the dubious 'Oblivious Clueseeker of the Week' prize to her clever sister, sullen face devoid of emotion. "Oh, really. Did you come up with that one on your own, hmm?"

"Yes. I believe that all the constant needling about monkeys might actually be a cover for her desires towards him!"

"Oh, riiiight. Either that, or she has a thing fer actual monkeys. Didja consider _that_ angle, Satsuki Holmes, Master Detective?"

"Oh, come now, Ryuko. I'm more reminiscent of Mycroft. Everyone knows this."

"Euuugh. Whatever you say, Sister Oblivious."

"Yes, well…anyways. I apologize for being, shall we say, not entirely receptive to your jovial nature. I shall correct this behavior and adapt to make our interactions more pleasurable in the future."

"Yeah? Ya ain't gonna be so frickin' touchy about it, huh? Yep. We'll see about that, once I remove the kid gloves!"

"Yes, Matoi. Bring your 'A-Game', as I have heard you say to others. I will adapt and master this, in due time."

"Well, that's good. Now I won't feel so bad when I obliterate ya with my wit!"

"Ah, yes. Of course. Apologies are also owed to you for past disrespect, as well. I'm sorry for…clamming up after we had intimate relations the first time. It was not my intention to ignore the situation. I just did not know how to process such an occurrence."

"Heh heh heh…right, Satsuki. 'Clamming up' is what _I_ called it, too!" Ryuko's eyebrows danced, waggling mirthfully at the innuendo.

Shots were fired, but they fell woefully short of the emotions Satsuki was now experiencing. She gently pulled Ryuko towards herself, eager to have her love experience something new.

"Come. Dance with me, please. I have a song I'd like you to hear. I discovered it years ago, while reviewing and organizing my memories of traveling to England when I was younger. This song stuck with me throughout the years, as found it to be quite poignant in regards to my _-our_ situation."

Using the master den's entertainment center remote, Satsuki queued up a song for the sound system. ' _All My Love - Led Zeppelin_ ' flashed across the digital screen, characters glowing in tiny amber digital cubes as they scrolled by slowly.

The song's first synthesizer notes piped in from the stereo's hidden speakers, and Ryuko's face responded with a ripple of recognition. "Oh yeahhh, I know _this_ band…the drummer was awesome! This one sounds like a sappy ballad though, so I always skipped it…it's just not heavy enough to interest me."

Satsuki smiled broadly, taking Ryuko's hands in her own as she led this impromptu choreography. "Well, then. It's about time you discovered just how 'heavy' a ballad can truly be, dear heart."

They slowly danced together, Satsuki whispering translated lyrics into Ryuko's ear as they held one another, lest the poor language student miss the English word's important embedded meanings.

Ryuko, somewhat embarrassed by this odd prom night fiasco, wasn't really paying attention. She was a bit distracted by the delicate scent of Satsuki's perfume, clinging ever so slightly to the nape of the neck that was now serving as a tantalizing chin rest.

Her eyes were practicing their most fervent rolling at her nee-san's strange attack of sentimentality…until she heard the lyrics " _Within the glow that weaves a cloak of delight/There moves a thread that has no end…"_

A quiet gasp escaped her throat. Now she suddenly found herself paying attention to the song in full.

" _At last the arm is straight, the hand to the loom/Is this to end or just begin?_ "

Her countenance took on an enchanted expression as she listened carefully, spellbound by Satsuki's lilting voice as it communicated a most endearing message.

" _Proud Imouto-san, one word, my will to sustain/For me, the cloth once more to spin…_ "

Ryuko giggled sweetly when she managed to pick out the lyrical modification, smiling at the sheer beauty of her sister's hypnotizing singing voice as she did.

" _Yours is the cloth, mine is the hand that sews time…_ " This line caused a swell of emotion to surge as Ryuko hugged Satsuki tightly. Overwhelmed by the flash flood of sweet sadness, she clung to the outcropping of Kiryuin Rock, savior in her time of need once again. Perhaps ballads weren't so horribly boring, after all…?

" _Ours is the fire, all the warmth we can find/She is a feather in the wind…_ " Tears now streaked unbidden from Ryuko's scrunched up face as she sniffled in the hollow of Satsuki's nape.

"S-Satsuki…those lyrics, I…I can't believe that…aw, yer makin' me cry! You s-suck, f-fightin' _dirty_ like that!"

"Well, all I can say is ' _All's fair_ ', as was once said to me, my little warrior."

" _…_ _aw_."

Satsuki held Ryuko, gently stroking her back and head as she quietly murmured a full explanation of the song's significance. "Meaning is where you find it. Personally, once I discovered that this song was written in honor of the singer, who was then mourning the death of his young child, taken away so young by cruel fate, I…well, it forever reminded me of _you,_ Matoi Ryuko. I felt as though it was a message sent to me by my _own_ lost sister, taken from me so very long ago…that I would somehow see her again, and be reunited with her spirit once more…"

Satsuki paused and drew back, moistened eyes tinged with a mix of gratitude and adoration as she met Ryuko's own tear-stained orbs. "I just didn't expect it to actually come _true._ "

Kiryuin Satsuki's voice cracked as she uttered a plaintive request. "You are my little red 'feather in the wind'. Will you let me catch you?"

Matoi Ryuko hoarsely whispered a reply as she leaned in to seal the comment with a tender kiss: "Satsuki… _you already did._ "


	6. - Shell Shock -

-Shell Shock-

No quarter was asked, and none was granted.

The battle raged on, testing the skill and craftiness of both participants.

Well-toned bodies strained and heaved, the war of attrition heating up with every successive swing. Competitiveness being a primary component of both Kiryuin Satsuki and Matoi Ryuko, it fueled their actions long after tired muscles and sore limbs begged them to cease further aggressions.

Cool, graceful calculating met wild, powerful unpredictability, matching each other to one stalemate after another. Just when Satsuki thought she had her opponent cornered, an explosive burst of unexpected ingenuity from Ryuko dashed her hopes of a swift end to the contest.

Ryuko found her efforts thwarted time and again, almost as if Satsuki could read her intentions before she even formulated them. Frustration powering her thrusts and swings, she started to emit angry shouts at random intervals, in the hopes that they would create an atmosphere of distraction and possibly provide her with the edge necessary to shut that superior face right the hell _up_.

" _Rrgh!_ Whassa matter _-ermf-_ Sats, hah? Gettin'…tired, eh?"

*whap- _whap_ *

"Nonsense, I'm just getting _-huff-_ started! All is according to _-wheff-_ plan!"

*whap- _whap_ *

" _Gah!_ Bull shit, yer getting' worn down…and I can tell _-hyah-_ today's the day I _win_!"

*whap- _whap_ *

"Dream on, child! I shall - _hah_ \- be victorious!"

*whap- _whap_ *

"You can't hope to - _neff_ \- keep up with me! Ha-HAAA! _Kill shot_!"

The squash ball seared past Satsuki's defenses, making the final score one point in Ryuko's favor. The sweet taste of this hard-earned victory was undermined, however, by a glimpse of the actual reason for this slip-up: Satsuki had faltered mid-swing, pain momentarily contorting her face into an unmistakable grimace.

Ryuko tossed aside her racket, the clattering noise echoing loudly in the court. She reached out and grabbed a sweaty shoulder as Satsuki quickly turned towards a towel rack. "Hey. What was that, huh?"

Satsuki buried her face in a fresh towel, mumbling from beneath the cotton fabric "Well, that was the final _point_ , obviously. I shall not dispute your skill. The match is in your favor, Ryuko. Well played."

Ryuko's finely tuned bullshit detector went off, noting the by-now-obvious skirting of the comment at hand. "Oi, I mean that last shot...were you hurt or somethin'? Yer face went all funny, like you pulled something important. What's up, Sats? Are ya okay?"

The towel was lowered over a glistening, hair-plastered forehead, just enough for cobalt eyes to flash a message of brief annoyance. "You are mistaken. I'm fine." She then busied herself with redoubling her efforts to purge her face of all traces of moisture, towel being worked vigorously towards this goal.

Ryuko stood there, feeling Satsuki's tightly corded shoulder working overtime under her hand. She squeezed down gently, in an effort to coax her sister into halting this odd charade. Satsuki shrugged in a hasty attempt to dislodge this clingy impediment to her post-game activities.

"Do you _mind_ , Matoi? I'm trying to clean up! Is this a new method of gloating you've conjured up just to irritate me?" The acid in her voice etched out the ghost of a hidden story into Ryuko's mind...there was no _way_ this was just about her latest victory.

"Put down that damned towel and _look_ at me! I wanna talk to you, and I ain't letting you get away with your usual porcupine huffiness! Tell me what's going on, onee-san! I can tell yer hiding someth-"

Satsuki's palm flashed up, a lightning-quick strike that smacked away the offending paw perched upon her deltoid. "It's nothing! _Drop it_ , Matoi!"

"Oh, so ' _it_ ' is a thing? 'Cause people don't usually refer to _nothing_ as _something_!" Ryuko struggled mightily with the urge to open her container of generously-stocked ass kicking upon her unusually venomous sibling, staying her hand only because she knew this tactic wouldn't serve to loosen Satsuki's lips one bit.

Her lips did actually loosen just now, if only to peel back and reveal a sneer, aimed derisively at Ryuko. "Are you seriously attempting to pit your stubbornness against my own? Seek not to trifle with me at this point in time, Matoi. I am _not_ in the mood for such foolishness!"

Index finger thrust out like a prison shiv, Ryuko ground her teeth at the dangerously leering Kiryuin youth. "Don't you _dare_ make this into a confrontation, when all I'm trying to do is care about you!"

Satsuki's eyelids narrowed to glittering piano-wires of darkness. "Yet here you are, refusing to walk away when mercy is offered. Such behavior…it reeks of _disrespect_."

Ryuko whispered now, volume lowered in inverse proportion to the urgency of the plaintive query. "Satsuki...haven't we fought _enough_ by now?"

A pregnant pause hovered over them both, the words ringing loudly in both of their minds as stubborn glares met. The young Kiryuin warlord hurled her towel to the ground, then swiftly turned without another word to walk towards the locker room. Ryuko blurted out anxiously "Oi! Don't you turn away from me! I ain't _done_ with you! You need to tell me just wha-"

Ryuko's outstretched arm was slapped away, a harsh action followed up by a harsher rebuke. " _Enough_ , child. I will not warn you again! Nor will I be responsible for what follows if you do not cease your infernal interrogation."

"Satsuki! It's not some fuckin'…okay, _look_. I don't know what just crawled up your ass and died, but I ain't gonna accept anything less than a full explanation for this stupid-"

"LEAVE ME _ALONE_ , DAMN YOU!" Satsuki screamed as she spun around and hurled a fist at Ryuko's chin. Ryuko darted away, knuckles brushing past her jaw with a tremendous rush of pressurized air. Ryuko was wincing now: not from the pain of contact, but rather the sting of intention as she realized what that strike would have done, had it landed successfully.

Ryuko's own fists automatically rose up, assuming the classic schoolyard boxer stance she was forced to perfect at an early age. "What the FUCK, Kiryuin? You wanna get into this with me? Now? Are you fucking _serious_?"

A series of flurried jabs answered her, blurred strikes darting at her seemingly from several angles at once. She deftly answered the blows, expertly deflecting them as well as her fiber-enhanced reflexes allowed. _'Damn! She's not kidding…these are meant to actually hurt! What the_ _hell_ _has gotten into her?'_ Ryuko thought as she observed Satsuki's lethally graceful form.

Though her hand-to-hand skills were easily on par with any top-tier martial arts practitioner, Satsuki's stamina was reaching her physical limits, having burned through most of her energy in multiple sport-related bouts with Ryuko earlier. Seeking a swift end to this confrontation, she struck out with an extraordinarily fast De-ashi-barai foot sweep, designed to put Ryuko down for a quick follow-up floor pin and subsequent verbal excoriation.

Ryuko, however, had different plans. Executing a beautiful au sem mão de frente Capoeira spin, she nimbly avoided the sweep and followed up with an Esquiva lateral dodge. Satsuki's eyes squinted as she recognized the form now being utilized against her.

"The martial art of slaves. You seek to throw me off with such a random form? How do you think I took on an army of COVERS, hands shackled with but a single toenail as a weapon? I mastered that long ago!"

Ryuko nonchalantly shrugged, warily sizing up her opponent's stance as she danced just out of striking distance. "Saw it in a movie. Thought it was cool. Learned it last weekend."

Satsuki's eyes flew wide open, anger now filling her heart with unbridled rage. "You learned _nothing_! It takes more than just a few days of tumbling around to learn an entire art form, you sanctimonious _brat_!" Satsuki charged forward, her body suddenly leaving the ground to deliver a precisely-timed Kani-Basami flying scissor throw. Lithe legs caught Ryuko in the surprise pincer maneuver, one behind her knees and the other walloping her chest with amazing power as her back came crashing down to the ground with a sickening - _thud_ \- of finality marking the end of this combat.

"Do you see now, what _pain_ does to you?" Satsuki snarled out, forcefully pressing her knee to Ryuko's neck as her own lungs gasped and burned with the effort.

No response issued forth from the young girl's prone form. Stillness crept in and created its own anxious wall as the Kiryuin warlord gingerly eased her leg off. She scoffed as she beheld the fallen foe now before her.

"Come now, Matoi. I've delivered far worse to you in the past. I know you are just stunned. Get up. _Now_!"

Still nothing. Eyebrow raised, she crept closer to assess the situation. "Matoi Ryuko, come on now. Silence ill befits you…your defeats are more boisterous and profanity-laden than this, surely…? …R-Ryuko? Imouto-san?"

Satsuki grasped both of Ryuko's shoulders, peering over to look into her sibling's eyes. Rolled-back whites were all that greeted her now, and her face drained to a ghostly white as the realization that something was dreadfully _wrong_ finally hit home.

Her façade of carefully cultivated annoyance was hopelessly water-damaged by a sudden torrent of tears. "No…oh **_no_**! Ryuko! _Please_! Wake up! I-I-didn't mean for this to happen! I just wanted you to back off! I-I meant to just…not like this! Please, be all right! _RYUKO_!"

Fingers of steel lashed out, clamping around Satsuki's slim neck with frightening speed. Her reactionary gasp was caught mid-throat as her windpipe was closed for the time being. Ryuko's eyes slowly rolled back to the front, glimmers of blue barely visible behind squeezed eyelids of defiance and terrible pain. A harsh hiss emanated forth from her grimacing lips as she inexorably brought Satsuki's face to her own.

"C-can't…feel my fucking _legs_ , Kiryuin. That what you were goin' for, here? You teachin' me a lesson in humility, or lack of _mobility_ today, Sensei-Touchy-Bitchy-San?" she spat, breath hitching painfully as she did.

"R-r-chk-Ry-uko-I-m-s-sorr-ktch!" was measured out in tiny, jerky spasms as the Kiryuin warrior pawed weakly at the adamantine grasp that now encircled her throat. Ryuko huffed an exasperated sigh and loosened her grip a bit, allowing Satsuki to access the wonders of oxygen and vision again.

Satsuki coughed and sputtered, yet made no move to extricate herself from her sister's rough clutches. Looking down upon Ryuko's pale, agony-contorted face, she wrestled with the dawning knowledge that she had royally screwed up her attempt at an impromptu lesson about privacy and deserved whatever was decided as retribution.

"Sats…if I were human, I would now most likely be _dead_. I can feel at least three, no, _four_ broken ribs…I can't feel below my waist...and I think you might have actually cracked my fucking pelvis. Didn't think _this_ was what might break my pelvis, ya know? I mean, the way you wield that strap-on was the way I _thought_ it would go, if it was gonna happen at all…ya sweaty pile-driving maniac…"

Hair clinging to her sweat-slicked brow, Satsuki went limp and hung there in Ryuko's steel claw, tears pattering down upon Ryuko's polo shirt. She shrugged weakly and tried to explain her actions, but nothing came to mind. Eyes scrunched shut, she wept, caressing Ryuko's bulging arm in an attempt to wordlessly communicate the bottomless sorrow of her shameful deeds.

"H-hurts…so…sorry, hurts so much, sorry…don't know…why…" she managed to burble, and Ryuko shouted out "No shit, it hurts! Ya fuckin' broke a couple of my _bones_ , ya overzealous _bitch_!", furious at the perceived condescension.

Satsuki's head jerked back and forth, hands shakily pointing at herself. "S-sorry, n-no, Ryuko! I meant… _me_.  I hurt. My…p-pain!" Ryuko's anger-clenched face relaxed to a dumbfounded slack-jawed stare, refusing to believe what she was hearing from her tough-as-nails sibling. She reflexively released her grip, and Satsuki fell down onto her hands and knees, coughing wetly as she did.

"Wha-what's goin' on here, Satsuki? You gonna finally talk to me about this? Or do I have to lose a goddamned body part or something to get ya to actually-" Delicate, trembling fingers shushed her lips as Satsuki reached out to caress Ryuko's puzzled face.

"I am so very, very sorry for my actions. I have no right to even _speak_ to you, Matoi Ryuko. I have never been so ashamed of my terrible decisions in all my life…!" Satsuki bowed over, placing both her hands upon Ryuko's heaving bosom, praying that she could somehow will her life force over to heal the damage she had caused.

"No, ah…- _ow, damn_ -, n-no worries, nee-san! I'm gonna heal, o-okay? I can feel it happening right now! I have sensations in my feet now, so that's good! Come on, I'm tougher than _that_ , ya big bully! Jus' gimme a few minutes and I'll be good as new…gotta just…-o _uch_ \- lay here fer a bit and let the fibers work their good old 'cheat code' magic, right?" Ryuko forced a broad smile past her agony in the hopes that it would signal Satsuki to ease up a bit on the throttle of her enormously powerful guilt train.

"Ch-cheat code? What do you m-mean? How did you cheat, Ryuko? I don't understand…are you all right, after all? Did I cause any…permanent damage? _Please_ tell me I didn't!" Satsuki sputtered, wincing at the very idea of her inability to properly cope with her own issues claiming yet _another_ victim.

Ryuko rolled her eyes. "Aw, no I didn't mean it like _that_! What I meant was that having these life fibers is like a cheat code for real life, ya know? Like I got a real 'God Mode' working here, right? Like in a video game? I mean, not that I've ever _needed_ to use one, because my talent just allows me to kick ass in every way possible anyways! But, ya know. Hypothetically?"

Wiping errant traces of moisture away from her reddened cheeks, Satsuki shrugged and mumbled "I…guess? I assume you mean hacking a computer game or something? I am not entirely up on the nomenclature of such activities. I've never really played a video game, as such. I have observed Inumuta and Sanageyama yelling at the screen at various times while playing some game or other, and Jakazure is certainly proud of her 'Violin Hero' high score…but I-"

"Whoa, whoa…just hooold up a moment there, will ya? What do you mean, you've 'never played a video game'? How the fuck is that even possible, Kiryuin?"

"Well, it means…er, exactly what it sounds like? I mean, do you really think that I had the time to pursue such juvenile activities? I had a _mother_ to kill and a _planet_ to save! The closest I came to 'video games' was studying computerized battle tactics and researching classic wartime scenarios! I didn't have time to learn things like your silly 'Battlefield' game! I was out there, doing it for _real_ , Matoi!"

"Okay, okay! I get it! Is that why you never join me when I play? Ya don't even know how?"

"Well, yes…that is true, I suppose …and I have no real desire to immerse myself in violent combat anymore."

"Oh - _snort_ -…yeah, I can see that…from way down here, in the bottom of yet another crater you put me in, Kiryuin."

"I…I am _truly_ sorry, Ryuko! I didn't mean to hurt you! I just…you wouldn't leave me _alone_ , and I wasn't ready to discuss my current…condition, and I just lashed out! I know this does not excuse my actions! But please…find it in your heart to forgive me, someday?"

'Yeah…fine, okay."

"R-really? Just like that, you'll accept my apology?"

"Pfft, oh _hell no_ , woman! I'm gonna milk this guilt trip fer allll its worth! I imagine you'll just have to suck it up and wait on me hand and foot, until I'm ready to bestow my precious forgiveness upon thee!"

"Very well. I shall do whatever you wish until you are ready to accept me back into your life. I have inflicted a terrible grievance upon you, and I owe it to you to fulfill this solemn vow of-"

"Oi, Satsuki, fer the love of…shut _up_ , already! I was so very joking, okay? I'm not the type to have you all groveling before me like Gamagōri! Come on! Don't even _be_ that way, it creeps me out! It's not like you at all!"

"I-I... _oh_. W-well, I still think I am honor bound to perform some form of-"

"Ah ah, don't you say another word. All you owe me right now is full disclosure. If you _really_ have some kind of health problem, you need to come clean with me about it. My worrying is hurting me way more than my ribs are right now…and I  know the ribs will be all healed up soon. I'm not so sure about _you_ , though…? So, just what is going on here, nee-san? Is it…is it really bad?"

"Ah, well…I should say not, I believe. It's just…constant chronic pain. That's all. I'm just having a hard time dealing with it at the same time as fulfilling my duty as REVOCS CEO…and fighting the constant liability lawsuits…and supervising the last of the clean-up efforts…and perhaps all this stress is keeping me from achieving my fullest potential."

"Okay, Sats. I can see how something like that would make you a bit crabby. Well, crabbier than _usual_ , anyways. But…pain from what, exactly? How were you injured? It isn't some, um…weird alien disease, is it?"

"It's…more a matter of how _wasn't_ I injured, Ryuko? When I first attempted to rid the world of my mother's fevered ego nearly a year ago, I suffered the first truly horrific defeat I had ever known. She utterly outclassed me in physical combat, hurled me full-force against the stadium's walls without Junketsu to absorb the kinetic energy of the blow, beat me nearly to _death_ …and then hung me from shackles in that damned cage for nearly a month. I…I didn't heal right, Ryuko. My bones…shattered! My tendons, muscles, nerves…oh, gods in heaven the _pain_! Ragyo didn't exactly ease me down at night to rest properly! Sometimes I was dragged down to th-the baths on a whim, just to cleanse me of my blood and filth and gore…and then she would j-just… _rape_ m-me _again_. I had to shut it all out, for fear of my sanity. I _had to_! I needed to rectify my tactical errors in judgment! The stakes were too damned _high_! A-and when I discovered that you actually _were_ my long-lost sister…I used that sacred knowledge to find a spark of willpower inside me! To fan it into a flame of rebellion, once again! I just  had to keep fighting! For _you_!"

Satsuki straightened up just then, poised upon her knees while she spread out her arms in a wide-open gesture. Her figure trembling slightly to keep desperate balance, she looked down upon her sister, searching for plaintive understanding regardless of her own fear and shame's attempts to take control and force a tearful retreat.

"Now, my body is paying the price for my reckless hubris. I have bone spurs growing in my joints. My spine is now permanently crooked from improper healing. Sciatica, sacroiliitis…even carpal fucking tunnel syndrome. Apparently gripping Bakuzan with the force of a thousand suns wasn't sustainable in the long term… ** _HA_**! Who would have guessed? These are the effects from all the earth-shattering blows, the titanic struggles…plus, oh how the human nervous system suffers the wrath of long-term exposure to an evil kamui. Ironic, yes? The eventual rejection of my 'purity' leading to this… _corruption_. If only I had allowed Junketsu to fully possess me…it could have spared me from this rot? Kept me pure in _body_ , if not in spirit? I'm falling _apart_ , Matoi. Right before your very eyes."

Ryuko snuffled, tears of concern succeeding where tears of agony had failed to disturb her proud cheeks. She struggled to sit up, ignoring the searing stabs of not-quite-knitted-together-yet ribs as they lanced her tender sides. An awkward sitting position was finally achieved, mostly by vast amounts of sheer willpower spiked with a fair amount of adrenaline.

"Satsuki. I'm _so_ very proud of you. Everything you've accomplished is simply the stuff of  legend…but if you've been hurting all this time, why didn't you come to me so I can help you? You've done enough in your lifetime to earn some rest, a thousand times over! I can take care of you, nee-san…I can… _do_ stuff for you! I can learn to-"

Satsuki pounded her bulging thighs, the harsh slapping sound echoing in the court chamber. "I don't want your fucking _pity,_ Ryuko! This is exactly what I did not want to hear! Dammit, Matoi! You don't get to…to…I AM NOT WEAK! Don't treat me like a worthless weakling! I will not suffer such indignance! Do you _hear me_? DO YOU?! I am _Kiryuin goddamned Satsuki_! I am _not_ WEAK!"

Ryuko stared at her sister, the frantic outburst stinging her like hot ashes from a mansion fire. "Wh-buh-I-if yer not gonna let me care fer you…then what good am _I_? Huh? What good am I to _you_ , Kiryuin goddamned Satsuki? If I can't even care for the only person who…yer makin' _me_ feel worthless! Am I supposed to just stand by and watch you disintegrate? You stubborn…fucking… _idiot_! How can ya do that to me? I-I ain't weak, either! Yeah, I  get it, you think I'm _stupid_ , and maybe compared to you I am…but I'm really good at caring! I've learned _that_ much by now, at least! I know what really matters in life! I _know_ what matters, dammit! _You_ matter to me! _Get it_? Do  you _hear me_? DO YOU?!"

They glared at each other, the air between them turned to emotionally charged electricity. Satsuki struck out first, words darting out in frustration before she had a change to modulate their poisonous tone. "Matoi. I do not think you are _stupid_."

A mirthless laugh barked out as Ryuko ran frustrated fingers through her ruddy-tinged mop of sweaty hair. "Oh yeah... _right_. Like I can't sense how you feel, every damned time you chastise me fer not applying myself properly, like I'm supposed to be a fucking academic wizard or something! I'm so fuckin' _sorry_ I don't have the mental fortitude or whatever  you have to make myself into a career-minded woman like you! I ain't _made_ like you, Kiryuin!"

Satsuki frowned. "No, I should hope _not_ , Ryuko. I was born of savage necessity and intense, unrelenting pressure. I would not want this for you... _ever_. I only wish for you to someday realize just how amazingly talented you are, if you would but _try_ to apply yourself!"

Teeth gritted hard, Ryuko shook a diamond-crushing fist vigorously enough to shake her entire body. "Can't ya just leave well enough _alone_ , Kiryuin? Huh? Can't ya just leave it to me? You just gotta butt in, always knowing better than me about how to live my own damned life?"

Satsuki closed her eyes, her facial expression blank as she uttered a quiet revelation. "Ah. _Now_ do you perhaps understand how I feel…about my  own life's pain?"

Ryuko froze, a sudden rush of cold certainty flooding over her with a current of icy whorls and eddies. Her physical freezing turned into a mental block of ice as well, the struggle between her _knowing_ she was absolutely in the right conflicting with her hunch that she was being obstinately _wrong_ towards her sibling's feelings.

Ryuko started stroking her own upper arms absentmindedly, desperately wishing it was another set of gentle hands providing the sensations instead. "O-okay. I guess I…need to try to understand your point of view…even though I can't _actually_ fit my head up my own _ass_? I swear I'm not ever gonna coddle you or anything, all right? But if there  is ever anything I can do to help….will ya promise me that you'll actually tell me? Please, nee-san?"

Satsuki's hands came down to rest upon her tired thighs, patting repeatedly upon them in a nervous, unintentional reveal of her own chaotic mental status. Her eyes grew distant, warbling back and forth in a frantic effort to dig up a convincing front of omniscience and wisdom beyond her years. Unfortunately, her jumbled psyche could only conjure up spasmolytic grid-lock…so she continued to kneel in front of her sister, shrugging weakly as the desired authoritarian words proceeded to evade her tongue.

Ryuko frowned, failing thus far in her efforts to get Satsuki to trust her intentions. "Look, I…understand that you maybe have trust issues, yeah? Ha- _ha_ , like I ain't pretty much made up almost entirely of those myself, right? Maybe try to see it from _my_ view though, huh? I want to ease yer pain, any way I can. I can't stand the idea of you hurting any more, nee-san...you've done that enough, haven't ya? Haven't we _both_?"

Satsuki slowly blinked, then swallowed nervously, her diminutive Adam's apple bobbing and lurching in an animated effort. A pearl of sweat streaked down her delicate, patrician neck, her nails absentmindedly scratching away at its annoying tickle as an unconscious afterthought. "It's not…that I don't trust you. I do, Ryuko, I promise you that this is _true_! I just…dammit, I don't  know, all right? There's something inside of me, it just won't let _go_! I'm…I…it makes me so frustrated, and so very angry! I was always able to channel my fury into something more useful in the past. I directed it into my enemies, my combat practice, my work. But now I don't have to carefully measure and obfuscate my _every_ thought, now that _she_ is dead and gone. I…know that I should be more honest about my feelings, but old habits are so very hard to break, Ryuko. I can't very well unleash my full anger in a board room full of incompetent executives these days, although _that_ thought certainly pleases me!"

Shoulders hunched limply over her tired frame, Ryuko nodded a tiny confirmation of understanding. She poked and prodded her feet, quietly testing for any leftover tingling in her extremities as she mumbled in a subdued tone "If it would help, Sats, you can...um, get angry at me? I c'n take it. Better me than someone who might actually be killed in the process, I guess. Look, I'm mostly healed already, see?" Toes were wiggled playfully to accentuate this thought.

Satsuki gasped, her fingers rushing to cover lips contorted by shock. "Matoi Ryuko! **No**! Wh-what are you even _saying_? I cannot seek to harm you in order to gain some sort of twisted gratification! This is pure lunacy!"

Eyes of cold navy peered up at Satsuki, pleading with quiet conviction. "I…would do it for you, though. I'd do anything; suffer _any_ ordeal to ease your suffering! I...I wouldn't mind, even? It's all good! I can thrive on _any_ kind of attention, as long as ya don't ever think of l-leaving me? Okay, Satsuki? I wanna help you in any way I possibly can...so, if ya really  need to get that outta yer system, then you could just, you know…haul off and-"

Satsuki lurched forward, enveloping Ryuko's tousled head with a gentle embrace. She hugged her close, smoothing out chaotic waves of hair as she whispered an urgent missive to the young girl's obviously thick skull. "Oh my sweet, beautiful Ryuko-chan, my dearest love...I need you to understand something, okay? We must _never_ allow violence to take hold of our hearts. I have committed a grievous sin against you by allowing rage to dictate my actions, and this has caused me to harm you terribly as a result. This is _never_ to be an acceptable course of action between us, okay? We must strive to be better than...than _her_. Is this absolutely clear?"

Kiryuin Satsuki felt her heart fill with shards of glass as she glimpsed Ryuko's eyes fill with hot tears. Lips trembled and pouted as she sniffed and choked on her mumbled answer. "B-but I don't _care_ what ya d-do to me...I jus' _need_ ya to stay with me, and never l-leave! Please! I'll do anything ya want!"

Eyebrows of impressive structure formed an arch of equally impressive concern over her now-worried expression. Satsuki cradled Ryuko's tear-stained cheeks in her hands, peering directly into the troubled teen's face. "Ryuko… _why_ are you so concerned about me 'leaving' you? Why do you even believe this to be within the realm of possibility? Haven't I made my own intentions clear by now?"

Withering before the steady intensity of the famous Kiryuin gaze, Ryuko involuntarily shuddered and closed her eyes tightly, the stream of moisture cut off by steel gates. A tremulous whisper managed to escape its lip-locked prison, however. "B-because…everyone I love l- _leaves_ me when I need them the most, that's why! Dad l-left me. S-Senketsu left me. And I can't bear the thought of _you_ leaving me, too! M-my heart…it just can't handle that kind of loss again!"

Eyes flashing open, she startled Satsuki by suddenly bear-hugging her in an iron embrace. "Every time they leave me, a piece of my heart is ripped away…I just can't survive that _again_! _Please_ don't let that happen to me again, Satsuki! I'm begging ya, please, I love you _so_ damned _much_ , and I'm _so_ sorry I'm not a better person and I'm sorry I don't take yer advice, and I suck at being responsible and I'm dumb, and I just don't wanna drive you away- _Imsoscaredpleasedontleavemealone!"_

"Ryuko. Please...look at me." The quiet yet firm request hung there in the air, and it took Ryuko a few moments to register its presence as something that required action on her part. Gentle digits brushed away matted, tangled red and black foliage to reveal the crumbling monument of beauty that ruled Satsuki's temple of the soul. Satsuki vowed at this point to take whatever steps necessary to drag this fragile creature back from the brink of irrational fear, no matter the cost.

"Matoi Ryuko. Everything I have _ever_ accomplished in my life…it has been for _you_ , in one way or another. When I didn't know of you, when you were just an abstract idea? My ultimate focus to succeed, beyond even all my reasons for stopping Mother's insanity and saving the planet…was to avenge _your_ death. When I actually became aware of your stunningly beautiful presence, however?  This is what kept me going, when my gambit had utterly failed and I was certain that I was to perish for my damnable mistakes. _You_ , beautiful girl. You have been, and _always will be_ my guiding light…the spark that drives the engine of my existence. To 'leave' you would be to remove my own heart! I could not live without you any more than I could without the heart that beats even now, within my chest!"

Ryuko absorbed this heartfelt speech, processing every last syllable and passing it through her trusty bullshit detector…and the results came back blessedly clear. She slowly allowed a toothy grin to creep over her face; hesitatingly at first, but growing with radiance as she hugged the glorious pillar of grumpy love that was her big, squishy Satsy-kins.

"I hope that never comes to pass, Satsuki. Um…Kiryuins have a nasty habit of having their hearts yanked right outta their damned chests, ya know?" Ryuko chuckled to herself, closed her eyes and nestled her ear over Satsuki's heart, if only to verify that said heart was still hammering away like a big, stubborn pendulum.

Satsuki performed the fastest puzzled-squint-to-open-eyed-surprise transformation in Honnōji Academy's history. "Oh, _hell_. You're right. I need to choose my imagery more carefully, don't I? I apologize, Ryuko. I didn't mean to phrase that so…inappropriately…"

Ryuko's shoulders shrugged awkwardly, not willing to move from her position above the heart of her love to better illustrate her current attitude. "Aw, fuck it. Our hearts are built to take it all, ain't they? All the pain in the world ain't gonna stop mine from beating faster when I think of how awesome you are, in case you wanted to know. You _are_ supremely amazing, okay? I wish I was more like you, Sats…you always have a plan, and the ideas, and all the answers!"

Satsuki sighed, placing a gentle kiss upon Ryuko's head. "Oh, if only that were so, dear love. All of this chaos could have been avoided altogether if I truly were this wise saint of a person you portray me to be."

A ticklish snort vibrated its way through Satsuki's firm bosom, providing by far the strangest sensation she had experienced up to that point in her already-unusual day. "Saintly? Oh, I wouldn't go _that_ far. I mean…would a saint tie me up tonight and bang me senseless? Preferably bent over on the couch, while I was drunk…?" Ryuko waggled her butt back and forth like a puppy anticipating a stick that was to be thrown for her entertainment…and that actually wasn't too far away from what was lurking in her mind's devious eye, anyways.

"A saint might actually do just that, to a sinner like _you_. You are an unrepentant sex hound these days!"

"Ooh baby, woof-woof, I say…woof- _woof_!"

"Er…um…M-Matoi?"

"Yeah, Kiryuin?"

"Forgive me for asking…but, this isn't a…a 'thing' of yours, is it?"

"Huh? Whaddaya mean, a 'thing'?"

"The - _ahem_ \- barking references? It's not a…you know…a fetish of sorts? Are you somehow asking for me to humor you by-"

"Holy-NO, IT IS NOT A FETISH. IT WAS A _JOKE_."

"Okay! I'm sorry! I had to be certain! I wasn't sure if, ah…"

" _Doggy style_ , Satsuki! It's a pun! I want you to pull my fucking _hair_ and smack my fucking _ass_ while you fuck my naughty _pussy_ from behind on the fucking _couch_ with your fucking _strap-on_! How the fuck did you even get any other meaning from…oi, you know what? I don't even _want_ to know. Okay?"

"I-I'm sorry! It's just that…Inumuta Hōka has these friends, you see…apparently they like t-to dress up as animals? And they…um, they…uh…you know, indulge in various...ah, a-activities that-"

"Satsuki. What the hell. Just…what. The. _Hell_. Are you even remotely _serious_ , or is this 'jerk Ryuko's fucking chain until she gags on it' day?"

"Ah, well now… _that_ actually sounds like something you  would really appreciate, if your recent desires have been any indication?"

"F-fuck _you_ , Kiryuin! That's your fault for bein' such a perfectly scary dictator!"

"You...you're… _right_."

"Yeah, well of _course_ I am! Matoi ' _Always Right_ ' Ryuko...it has a big, shiny ring of glamorous truth to it, don't ya think? Eh?"

"...yes..."

"Aw...hey? Why the spooky sad face, Sats? I was only kidding, right? I mean, sure...the actual ' _Ninety-Five Percent of the Time Right_ ' number doesn't quite roll off the tongue, but..."

Dark clouds fell across the troubled face of the former student council president, her outstretched hands forming upturned claws of quiet frustration. "I fell into my old habit of trying to shut you up by force. A scary dictator's tactics…again! Would it really have been so terrible to just... _tell_ you how I felt instead? When will I ever learn to react as a normal person would, Ryuko? Why is it so... _fucking_... hard? I've taken great pride in mastering my own emotions...why does _this_ elude me so?"

Ryuko smiled warmly, threading her fingers delicately between Satsuki's anguished talons and magically transmuted them into warm digits of pliant surrender instead. "Well...maybe because the reign of Kiryuin _'Perfect and Infallible in Her Lordly Ways'_ Satsuki is over? Maybe now that she has _finally_ fulfilled her penultimate duty, it's time for her to realize this, retire and make way for the Kiryuin ' _Totally Awesome and Super Beautiful But Sometimes Makes Mistakes and That's Okay'_ Satsuki that I adore more than black raspberry ice cream and vanilla vodka _combined_?"

Satsuki eyes rolled around shyly, searching for the mysterious force that was triggering such burning in her reddening cheeks. "Ha, I don't think you adore me _that_ much, Ryuko..."

The tip of her tongue poking out in mischievous blips, Ryuko now went and unleashed the full brunt of her glorious 'Pearly Smile Attack ( 真珠の笑顔攻撃) that signaled her triumph over Satsuki's leaden ennui. "I _do_. In fact, I think _that_ Kiryuin Satsuki could realllly go for some tiramisu ice cream right about now? Huh? I'm buyin' todaaaay..."

"She...she could possibly go for that, as a matter of fact. Dammit." _That_ Kiryuin Satsuki sighed in quiet resignation and bit her lip, confessing to a desire that she would normally never even acknowledge if it weren't for the dossier of insider information that her crafty sister possessed regarding her own illicit (and tasty) cravings.

Matoi Ryuko (ruthless blackmailer of sweet-tooth-stricken siblings everywhere) giggled merrily. "Hey, I'll even splurge and get you those shitty little stale cookie sticks you love, along with that crappy bitter coffee you drink afterwards!"

"That's...biscotti, you culinary _savage_! It's the perfect complement to a post-dessert  cappuccino!" Satsuki blurted, always willing to heedlessly dash headlong to culture's defense from the heathen masses.

Ryuko's lips pursed into a stiff upper lip of faux-seriousness. "So, I'll take it that's a 'yes', madam? I shall fetch the car and proceed to transport milady to the most delightful Café Italiano for a most delightful afternoon dessert treat, hmm?"

The elder Kiryuin's eyes dropped down briefly, and Ryuko had immediately assumed that more shyness reinforcements had arrived on scene to bully her into submission…but it was the subtle way Satsuki carefully smoothed her palms over her taut abdomen that betrayed the actual gravity of her thoughts to this uncannily observant sister.

"Oi! Don't you _dare_ be looking at yer tummy! Are you seriously considering bowing out of this because of the frickin' calories? You better not do that now! We just burned, like, a thousand kilojoules or somethin' while fighting each other! Your Olympic washboard can handle a small cup of sweetness!" Ryuko menacingly shook her index finger, scolding Satsuki into diet-defying compliance.

"It wouldn't very well be 'Olympic' if I gave in to my every whim! This is the very core of willpower, child…to resist such things!" she chided back.

"Hey, ya know what the difference is between stubbornness and willpower, Sats?"

"Oh, go ahead. State your theory."

"About three scoops. Get yer ass _moving_ , Kiryuin."

"All right, all right. _After_ a quick, hot shower. I need the heat, my back is…I mean…I- _dammit_ , I didn't mean to say that out loud!"

"Hey, easy! Don't move too fast, or you might make it worse!"

"I'm fine, Matoi! I can get up on my own!"

"Oh yes, I know…but maybe it'll serve to make _me_ feel better, okay? Now fuck off and let me help you to the goddamned locker room before I put ya in a full body cast!"

" _-sigh-_ I…love you, too."

"…aw."

"Oh, and Matoi? I have one favor to ask of you, please?"

"Sure. Name it!"

"I really mean this. It is _most_ important. I absolutely  need your most solemn vow."

"O-okay. I promise…what am I promising here, exactly?"

"Promise me **_no_** mercy. In whatever contests we engage in from here on out, no matter the circumstances… _please do not go easy on me_. I cannot  stand the idea of pity, or that you might capitulate to me just to make me feel 'better'. It would be far more harmful to me if I found that you were pulling your punches. Can you just do me this one favor…out of respect for me?"

"Ha! Oh, _fuck_! Imma destroy your ass! Like I'd ever lend  you _mercy_ …I ain't got any to give ya! Sorry, I'm allll fresh out. In fact, I replaced it with ass kicking. Want a can of _that_ instead?"

"I'll take a raincheck on that, regrettably. I am quite spent in just about every way possible."

"Awww, are ya sure? I think we have this joint rented out fer another…lessee here, about forty-five minutes or so? I could take ya in a quick game of…hell, I dunno…what are the other things listed here… _badminton_? Whatever the hell _that_ is?"

"Bad- _what_? Let me see that chart...oh, yes. I see now. It's an overseas variation on hanetsuki. It's played with a shuttlecock."

"A what? A _cock_? Are ya pulling my chain again?"

"- _sigh_ \- No, dear. It's a…battledore? Usually made of plastic, with frills?"

"- _snort_ \- A _plastic_ cock? Oh lord, woman! We came here to play games that neither of us had any experience with to even the playing field, remember? I ain't goin' up against you in a game that allows you to use a plastic cock! You'll just wreck my pelvis with _that_ , too!"

"…and yet you were begging me for this very thing just a little while ago? You _will_ be struggling against a 'plastic cock' tonight, dear…and you will _lose_!"

"Ah…heh-heh-heh, okay, ya got me there. But I really think I'll actually _win_ in that scenario."

"Yes, perhaps…if I actually _allow_ you to orgasm!"

"Wha-aaat? Aw, _come on_!"

"Precisely. Only if you're _good_."

"Oi! In that case- _sniff_ -I-I'll miss ya, orgasms! It was nice knowing ya! Mean ol' Lady Satsuki won't let me have ya anymore!"

"Try being _good_ for once, then?"

"Try being _nice_ for once, then?"

"Oh, well. In _that_ case, at least you had the chance to properly say goodbye."

"… _aw_?!"

* * *

Matoi Ryuko was in pain.

Not from her earlier combat-inflicted injuries, but rather from her current ones.

The pain was one thing. She was used to that, so it didn't really bother her quite so much. There were ways to mentally block out such things: her legendary stubbornness also went a long way towards achieving her goals, even while in sheer agony.

No, the problem here…was that she was _afraid_. Fear was always a tough thing to grapple with, icy tendrils burrowing their way through her very being and disturbing her nigh-unshakeable concentration. Her fear here was that she had created an unstoppable _monster._

Ryuko panted, huffed, repeatedly blew her unruly hair out of her sweaty face, rocked back and forth ceaselessly, whined, cajoled, begged…absolutely nothing worked to diminish the torture. She was at the mercy of Satsuki's whims, unsuccessfully defending herself in the midst of the most mercilessly crushing defeat she had ever experienced.

Searing bolts of pain racked her hands. Sizzling pulses of acidic electricity burned through her palms, her thumbs. One barked out yelp after another was emitted from her lungs as she seriously considered crying as a defensive technique, to see if that might possibly get this onslaught to cease…but she was quite certain this would only elicit more cruelty from Kiryuin Satsuki.

The couch shook and creaked with the fury of their activity, and it was only after Ryuko slipped and fell off the edge with a plop did Satsuki finally provide a brief respite from this one-sided slaughter.

The well-worn game controller fell from Ryuko's grasp, clattering loudly as it skittered across the floor. The young woman stared down at her swollen hands, her heartbeat announcing its fast rhythm within each individual finger in a unified pulse of screams.

"Nee-san, I…I've n-never said these words, and I never even _dreamed_ that I would, but…I surrender!" Ryuko's head hung low, the words tasting unusually bitter and foul. This was not the kind of humiliation she could muster up the courage to swallow.

Satsuki looked away from the Tetris game long enough to dart her eyes over to her sister's prostrate form, hunched over in front of the couch. She erupted into peals of gleeful laughter, echoing in the game room, the hallway and also Ryuko's head. " _Ha HAAA_! You need to do _better_!"

"If I _could_ , I _would_! Yer some creepy ass cyborg, some frickin' Terminator sent from the future to organize goddamned _boxes_ , aren't ya?" Ryuko grimaced, unsure if her hands or her sibling's gleeful taunting stung worse right now.

Kiryuin Satsuki beamed a glowing smile of sheer delight straight into the face of her soundly beaten opponent, the glaring intensity of which caused Ryuko to cringe before its maniacal enthusiasm.

"Oh, Matoi! This game is just…pure beauty! It's brilliant in its sheer simplicity! It makes me happy in a way that I didn't think was even possible, considering it's just a silly little video game! Oh, I could play this for the entire day…I'm not even bored _yet_! I never thought I could find Zen in analyzing and categorizing simple shapes, but…here I am! Thank you _so_ much for introducing me to this fascinating puzzle game!"

"…and to think…that I only wanted to show you to a simple, easy to understand video game…so I could then introduce ya to the concept of digital ass kicking, courtesy of good old 'Arcade Superthumbs' Matoi. I didn't know ya were just a brutal Tetris killing machine! No fair, hiding super powers like that from me, nee-san!" The pouting in Ryuko's voice was palpable...and Satsuki didn't give the slightest damn. She was having entirely too much fun kicking her younger sibling's posterior in her own realm.

"Quiet, please. Distracting me has never worked in the past, and it will not succeed now, either! I have levels to clear, dear." Ryuko glanced at Satsuki, watching her sister work the controller with a hypnotic precision that denoted her vastly superior processing and prediction skills.

"Auuggghhh…like you even _need_ faster twitch reflexes. What have I done? I'm so gonna regret this…you're hard enough to deal with, without you literally beating me at my own frickin' games! I'm gonna have to start referring to ya as my neme _sister_ in real life!"

"Well, Ryuko…you may have to find another activity in the evening. I may just take over this game console for several months!"

"Why bother? It's on yer damned smart phone, ya methodical maniac!"

"- _gasp_ \- It IS? Surely, you jest? Where is it located? Show me, Matoi!"

"-sigh- Calm yer britches…it's right _here_ , see? I'll even be nice and merciful and make a shortcut for ya on the main screen. Remember that thing? _Mercy_? You should try it out sometime..."

"Oh, my. This is certainly interesting. All this time, this fascinating activity has been here, right at my fingertips…and I had no idea!"

Satsuki scrolled over to her text message history and excitingly tapped a quick group message out to her Devas.

 _'_ _Attention: I have discovered this game called 'Tetris'. Has anyone else played this game? It is superb. I highly recommend it! Anyone wishing to challenge me at this game is welcome to do so at this time: I will make the arrangements.'_

She turned, brushing off the accumulated sweat on the controller to dive back in to her game, still in progress. A ' _pling!_ ' sound (coin sound courtesy of ' _Super Mario Game Ringtones_ ': text alert sounds set up by professional annoyance Matoi Ryuko and obliviously missed by clueless victim Kiryuin Satsuki) came from her phone, signifying a response.

She opened her messages to first observe a text from Jakazure Nonon.

 _'_ _Oh shit, you finally discovered Tetris. The world will quake.'_

This was followed quickly by Sanageyama Uzu's reply:

 _'_ _NO WAY!I ACCEPT!I WILL FINALLY HAVE MY VICTORY!IS TETRIS PLAYED WITH SWORDS?LET ME KNOW!'_

Inumuta Hōka's missive was brief.

 _'_ _You have never played Tetris? Interesting. I shall make a note of this.'_

Iori Shirō's response then lit up the phone, this one being via e-mail.

 _"_ _Salutations, Lady Satsuki! The next available time slot in my schedule is two weeks from this Sunday. Let me know if this is a good time for you as well? ~ Sent from my iPhone_

Gamagōri Ira's text came in last.

 _'_ _My Lady, I must respectfully decline your invitation at this time. I am currently bound by prior commitments. However, I look forward to engaging you in conversation at a later date!'_

This was immediately followed by another message, also from Gamagōri's number.

 _"_ _hiiiii satsuki-samaaaaa! this is mankanshoku mako! i hope ira's message made it to you! i had to let him do the text to speech phone thingy i hope it worked ok? he cant text now hes been very bad today so i tied him up! we miss you satsuki-samaaaaa! tell ryuko i love her and miss her too! be nice to ryuko!'_

Satsuki grinned slightly. "Ah…Mako says that she misses you, Ryuko."

Ryuko groaned. "Aw. I'd love to text her back, but I think my thumbs are just plain ruined! Maybe next time, we can play something safe and gentle like…like…Monopoly?"

Satsuki chuckled. "Only if _I_ perform the function of banking, Matoi. Considering your woeful management skills, that bank would be shut down by the time I landed on Free Parking!"

A glazed over expression of numbness was all that answered her barbed observation. Ryuko frowned, then glumly muttered to herself "Why am I not surprised that you would be familiar with Monopoly, too?"

Another wry laugh came from Satsuki's lips. "Why, because I happened to study it in my Finance classes…and because the majority of the lawsuits REVOCS is fighting these days have it as a common theme? Really, Ryuko. How could I _not_ be aware of it?"

Ryuko rolled her eyes and sighed. She mutely watched the screen as Satsuki methodically cleared level after level of Tetris as her own jumbled pile of blocks filled one side of the screen, taunting her with its blinking final score. She noted with a hint of chagrin that her console user name ( ***Arcade_Superthumbs*** ) was now quite low on the top ten scores list, her sister's name ( ***Neme** ** _sister_** **!** *) now dominating the first eight slots. She sorely regretted setting that tongue-in-cheek name up for her sibling now; never once thinking Satsuki could ever actually pose a credible threat to her own superior video game wizardry.

"Ya know, fer someone suffering from carpal tunnel, you sure are kicking a huge amount of ass with those thumbs of yours." Ryuko grumbled, and Satsuki shrugged as her lips pursed with deliberate concentration.

"It hurts, true. I have thus far been able to push past it…but I have been told that surgery will most likely be necessary to address it, since I categorically _refuse_ to wear wrist braces. I am biding my time for the opportunity to…find the time to…" Her voice trailed off as her willingness to finish the uncomfortable thought puttered out.

"Admit it?" Ryuko said nonchalantly.

"I believe I already admitted it to you, Matoi. At the recreational center, remember?"

"I meant more to _yourself_."

Satsuki paused her game and gave Ryuko a withering glare. She prepared a scathing retort, but reluctantly shelved it instead. Her ability to ignite another heated argument was doused by the earnest look of concern embedded in her young sibling's face.

"I'm not entirely crippled, I'll have you know. I _do_ have a secret…look. In the interest of full disclosure, I suppose I can admit something to you. However, I believe that you may be surprised…and possibly a bit upset at what I have to tell you."

Ryuko's eyebrows were the ones to form a bow of surprise this time. "Wh-what are ya talking about _now_? What _else_ is wrong with ya? Come on, Kiryuin! If this is your idea of a _joke_ , I'll-"

A raised palm of authoritarian grace silenced the youngster mid-splutter. "Relax. It's not what you think, I assure you. But it may serve to ease your concerns somewhat over my well-being, all right?"

One jerky shrug of false nonchalance later, and Satsuki finally had the silence she desired. She unpaused her game and proceeded to watch the rain of bricks tumble down as she let loose with her rain of thoughts.

"I may be somewhat 'superhuman', after all. The life fibers that were implanted within me as a child did not fully activate to...Mother's satisfaction, of course...but they never really went _away_ , either. Apparently, they _do_ still influence my physiology in a rather subtle manner. My resilience and stamina are, in Inumuta's words, 'legendary'. How else could I defeat over _five hundred_ opponents as a mere youngster, yes?"

Ryuko nodded once, unable to utter any words to describe her current mental state. Her attention was fully devoted to Satsuki's every word, and she wasn't about to interrupt with a jackass-like comment now.

"So, while they do not grant me the unbelievable strength and godlike healing properties _you_ possess, they do bolster my performance in other ways. For a human, my staying power is absolute. I can recover from savage hits with near-instantaneous responses. My pain tolerance is stratospheric. It should illustrate just how much damage I incurred when I failed to properly assassinate Ragyo, that fateful day during 'The Great Culture and Sport Festival': I should have _died_ that day, Ryuko. She hurled me with the force of a meteor into those concrete stadium steps. My impact left me in a shattered crater, and this was _without_ Junketsu to protect me!"

"Uh huh. I know…I was there…" Ryuko mumbled, wincing at the memories of that tumultuous day.

"Well…any _other_ human would have been crushed into a broken jumble of bone paste by such an incredible impact. But I, Kiryuin Satsuki…was  not. I was resilient enough to only suffer a few broken bones, a concussion, some internal bleeding…but I was very much _alive_. Conscious, even! Well…mostly. I will admit that it was rather touch-and-go during that particular time…I honestly thought I was hallucinating when I heard Mother announce to the world that you were my long-lost sister! It was only _later_ …in that cage, when she used this knowledge to torture me…this was when it finally hit home."

Ryuko frowned, a sad melancholy look settling over her impish features. "H-hey, Satsuki? Come on…we don't have to talk about _that_ time, all right? I don't want it to upset ya!"

Satsuki cocked her head, smirking mysteriously as she did. "Upset? Oh, gods above, _no_! I play that moment over and over in my head quite frequently. It was the moment that vindicated my entire _life_ , and ultimately sealed Ragyo's fate in the process. I might have actually given up in that cage, if I hadn't been provided with the precious knowledge that you were out there, somewhere…my dear sister was alive! If only she _knew_ just how much that bit of intel cost her in the very end!"

Ryuko muttered ruefully "Yeah, these threads…are like having a cheat mode in real life…hey. Look. I...since we're getting' all honest and warm and fuzzy here, can I ask you a question?"

Satsuki paused the game, placed her controller down onto the end table and turned to give her sibling her full attention. "You can _always_ come to me for whatever you need. What's on your mind?"

Ryuko nervously bit her lip, and then stared intently across the room at the video screen, taking sudden interest in the paused Tetris game. _It_ wasn't staring at her with intensely beautiful blue eyes...and she could meet its LCD gaze right now without issue. "Well...okay. Please, _please_ be honest here. Is part of the reason you resent me because I didn't have to actually earn what I have? I mean...I have these powers and skills from the life fibers, and I can learn stuff with frightening speed...apparently also because of the life fibers? That, plus I uh...have money now that was basically just _given_ to me..."

Satsuki's eyes widened with incredulity. "How can you even think...no, of _course_ not! First of all, I don't resent you in any way! Oh, sure, you irritate me to no end...this I will concede to you, 'O' Matoi of Infinite Antagonism'! But I don't believe for an instant that you haven't earned all you have. You have suffered tremendously. You have lived through hell and survived! Plus, Father's estate was rightfully yours, anyways...it wasn't 'free money'! Ryuko, you _have_ earned it all...paid _in full_ by copious amounts of blood, sweat, tears and pain!"

Satsuki reached out to Ryuko, gentle hand resting upon tense fist. "Look, I…I'm sorry if you think I'm too hard on you. I don't know how _else_ to show you…or anyone, for that matter…how much I care? I'm…still trying to find ways that actually work, and it is so very difficult! Please do not believe that I 'resent' you. I adore you more than you can possibly _imagine_ , silly girl. You are truly…the very _best_ person I know."

"Um…I don't think you know me very well, then. I'm not even smart enough to remember to close the car's window when it rains half the time…" Ryuko stuttered, blushing now taking up approximately ninety-five percent of her blood supply to power.

"Oh yes, Matoi. That certainly _is_ a metric I use to determine one's intelligence quotient…I suppose you don't know _me_ very well either, when seen in that light. Here, wait just one minute. Can you pass me my briefcase? I just remembered a crucial document that I needed to show you. I should have brought it up before. You need to read this…it might bring serious consequences to our lives."

Ryuko dutifully dragged the briefcase over to Satsuki's side, which she proceeded to open with a loud - _snap_ \- and then rifled through the pockets with grim determination. Locating the folded newspaper, she proceeded to unceremoniously dump it onto Ryuko's lap.

Examining the newspaper, the young girl cocked her head, then slowly looked at her sister in bewilderment. "It's a…newspaper? In English? Where's this even from, and why do you think there's crap in here I'd even care about?"

Satsuki stiffened, drawing up her poise to full 'incredibly-grandiose-and-therefore-impossible-to-ignore' levels. "It was brought to my attention by Soroi. He discovered it during his recent journey to Great Britain. Well, dear…I certainly hope you remember at least a little bit of English from your studies…because the truth of what happened to us is _in those pages_."

Ryuko blinked, her open gaping mouth unwittingly threatening to loose forth a spat of drool onto the paper. "Th-the what? The… _truth_? Like, the  actual truth? Y-you cannot possibly be…serious…?"

An impressively manicured nail tapped upon the front page, calling Ryuko's attention to the contents within. " _Read_. You will see. Page twenty-six."

She whipped open the paper, searching frantically for the page numbering. "Uhh, Sats…?" she muttered, and it took Satsuki's pointing to the numbering to indicate the proper way to open a foreign language periodical. "Oh, crap…I forgot about the backwards page reading thing! Sorry. Okay, lessee here…umm… _here_! Okay, I found the page! Where am I looking again?"

The nail once again tapped down upon the page in question: an article immediately drew Ryuko's attention, with a terrible artistic representation of a COVERS soldier looming above the New York City skyline. The title of the article was ' ** _The Cover-Up Behind The Worldwide REVOCS Wardrobe Malfunctions: ALIENS! Masterminded By Japanese Lesbian Lovers!_** '.

Ryuko's eyes bugged out as she slowly read the headline, growing wider and wider as she figured out every word. "Holy…shit. How the fuck did this story get out? A-are _we_ the l-lesbians, Satsuki? Wh-whaaat the fuuuuck are we gonna do? We'll be arrested! Lynched! Hunted down! Shitshit _shit_! I'll be dissected in some secret laboratory!"

Stone faced, Satsuki evenly stated to her not-so-subtly-panicking sister "Please, read the article for the full story. It's important, Ryuko. Our lives may depend on it!"

Ryuko, now scrunched into a feral ball of quivering nerves, read on as ordered. "Ah…okay…government reports, secret files just discovered…the alien fiber e-experiments…evil l-living fibers…masterminded by…REVOCS Head CEO _Ragyo Kiryuin and Rei Hoomaroo_? What the everliving hell? A-and they didn't even spell Hōōmaru correctly? The two evil fabric industry leaders...disappeared together in the resulting chaos to live as lovers _on the MOON_?!"

Papers shredding nearly fast enough to ignite from friction alone, Ryuko gnashed her teeth and screamed out "What…the… ** _hell_** is the _meaning_ of this, _Kiryuin Satsukiiii_!" Her hyperventilating lungs sucked fire as she turned to her inhumanly calm sibling, who remained motionless upon the couch. Ryuko fixated a laser of burning conviction upon Satsuki's alabaster visage, hoping to extract the truth from sheer attitude alone.

"It means, dear Ryuko…that my poker face has _improved_." The slightest twitch of her delicate nostrils, flaring ever so slightly…this was enough to reveal the consummate practical joker's sly gamble.

If lasers could, in fact, erupt from Ryuko's enraged pupils right then, it would have unleashed a Tunguska-level event of pure _fury_ , aimed at her sister's immolated corpse. The only thing that short-circuited the cyclotron of boiling rage that was rapidly accelerating within her humiliated bosom was the utterly alien sight of Kiryuin Satsuki…exploding into torrents of cackling mirth.

" _Aaaahhhhh_! Ah ha ha ha _ahhhh_ _ **haaaa**_! Oh, you s-should see your f-f-face right now, Ryuko-ho-ho-ho-hoooo!" Satsuki fell to the floor limply, rolling into a laughing ball of jiggling, snorting and tears.

Ryuko pouted the mightiest pout ever witnessed by human eyes. The angle of her jutting jaw, the curve of her fumbling lips, eyes sparkling with perfectly suckered shame…a master sculptor could not have crafted a better monument to abject silliness as was currently before Satsuki's teary vision. Her deep chuckles had just started to settle down to a somewhat understandable rumble when Ryuko went ahead and sniffled with a mournful cry "That…that so _wasn't_ funny, nee-san!"

This triggered a secondary explosion of gleeful shrieking, Satsuki's sides stabbing her in an effort to cease the trauma to their overworked ribs. Ryuko watched her sister jerk and spasm on the floor in paroxysms of delightful mirth…and a faint smirk slowly crept up and took control of her face when her steel-meltingly furious grimace wasn't looking.

Satsuki coughed and gasped, with a random snicker occasionally rippling through her frame as she slowly crawled back up to a sitting position on the couch. She panted as she wiped trace moisture from the corners of her eyes. "S-sometimes a serious expression is actually h-hard to manage, even for me! I couldn't resist, Matoi. When Soroi showed me that tabloid, I just…oh, the possibilities were _endless!_ "

"H-hard to manage? So is eating through a straw, you infuriating _bitch_! So that paper is just…just a-"

"An American shūkanshi, nothing more. You need not worry, dear Ryuko. We are blessedly safe from the world's wrath."

"Oh, yeah? You might not be safe from _mine_!"

"I will accept any punishment you feel is necessary. I regret nothing. It was worth it…to s-see your f-f-f-face! Oh, ow! Oh, it h-hurts to l-laugh! Owww…ohhh…!""

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. I'll get you back, Kiryuin! I swear!"

"You are welcome to try, dear heart. I wish you the _very_ best of luck! You'll need it, to top  that!"

"Well, what _ever_. Besides… _I'm_ not a lesbian."

"O-oh, really?"

"Nope! I like guys, too."

"Oh… _do_ you, now?"

"Well, yeah…a little bit…"

"I _see_. Am I keeping you away from all the eligible men, then? Shall I make arrangements for some marriage interviews, hmm?"

"Uhh…"

"Why, I know of some lovely miai services! I can call them up and ask for them to set you up with…what _is_ your type of man, Ryuko? Hmm?"

"Okay, you can stop that now."

"Oh, I know! A man who prefers his woman on the fiery, attitudinal side! Surely a man who is up to a real challenge!"

"Quit it, Sats."

"Or possibly a wealthy businessman! You could just stay at home and be lazy…why, you wouldn't even have to change much about your-"

"Satsuki! Shut the FUCK **_UP_**! _The only man I could love is_ _ **DEAD**_ _!_ "

"I…Ryuko. I'm…so sorry. I…"

"Yeah, whatever. Fuck this noise. I'm gone."

"Ryuko, _no_! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up Senket-"

"Well, ya did. I gotta go. Like, _now_."

"O-okay. I understand. Please…be careful!"

"- _snort_ \- Oh, like _I'm_ ever  that."

"Ryuko, I lov-"

The door slammed, reverberating throughout the mansion's structure. Satsuki was left alone to stare bleakly at her Tetris game…which she failed to notice had somehow become unpaused, a jumbled pile of chaos now filling up her side of the screen to mirror Ryuko's. Her high score now flashed upon the peak of the top ten scores list, but she didn't feel the slightest bit of triumph at this hollow victory.


	7. - Para Bellum -

\- Para Bellum -

"It's one thing to observe, another to actually _feel_..."

The arrow seared through the air, neatly splicing its soft target as if guided by military laser...or fate.

"I must _focus_. To lose sight of what is important now…would be unforgiveable."

Kiryuin Satsuki nocked another arrow, her eagle eyes squinting for another carefully-positioned grape to pick off. Finding one, she stretched the bowstring back past her cheekbone and breathed in a gentle rush of oxygen…then sensed as the moment reached its designated zenith.

The missile arrived exactly where it was fated to, once again. Satsuki felt a faint smile of satisfaction crawling across her mouth, which she promptly halted and tossed aside with coldest intent. ' _No. No joy in this_.' she internally admonished herself as her famous scowl of seriousness took back its rightful position. ' _This is only to focus myself. Not for pleasure. Never for that…ever again. Remember who you are?_ _What_ _you are?_ '

She nodded to herself, burning oxygen now releasing slowly from her pressure-cooker lungs. " _Yes, that's right…_ _murderer_."

The tiniest snap of foliage from behind her ( _off to your left, about five meters back, at your seven o'clock!_ her situational awareness alarm screamed…which she promptly muted, sensing it was of no malicious intent) signaled the arrival of a spectator. She paid it no heed, methodically preparing another shot to even out her targets for the day. The faintest whiff of strawberry skin lotion confirmed her analysis: but even the unexpected presence of her wayward sibling could not rattle _this_ , her Zen moment…a moment she dearly missed, and could never truly enjoy ever again.

"If I thought there was honor in striking a foe down from a distance, I would have perhaps relied upon a bow as my primary weapon at Honnōji Academy, instead of Bakuzan. Properly mastering kyūdō is an ordeal that requires one to enter a moment of pure Zen…to _become_ the very arrow as it finds the target. This is how and where I first forged my focus." Satsuki called out, seeking to engage Ryuko in what she hoped would be a chat, perhaps too interesting for the inquisitive girl to resist.

"From my perch at the Academy, I could have easily picked off _any_ fool who opposed me…but this would not have provided anyone with the opportunity to redeem themselves, either. I believe that one should be given the means to defend themselves, earn their own way, and be allowed to salvage their honor from the ashes of shame, if at all possible…and ultimately become _stronger_ as a result."

Rustling from nearby turned into a sound that to her trained ear sounded remarkably like a shapely ass impacting upon the edge of the stone embankment behind her.

"I traveled internationally when I was younger, you know…to compete in archery tournaments. It was...almost enjoyable."

Ryuko's sneakers kicked out a rapid Morse code of energetic anxiety on the wall below her heels. After a few moments of awkward silence, she finally decided to slip into the cool pool of neutral conversation. "Almost? Whaddaya mean? Did ya hate it because of all the pressure to win?"

Satsuki smiled a wooden smirk of false cheer. "No. I _thrived_ on pressure. It was the circumstances under which I was sent to compete that was the true problem: assassination. Mother took advantage of the innocence of a talented girl and used her skill to have unsuspecting foreign targets snuffed out. Ragyo used her vast influence to arrange the tournaments to her own whims and convenience…under the banner of an olive branch…under the guise of _sport_. Who would suspect a preteen girl of these horrid events, yes? This is why I stopped being the zaiteki archer I once was. It was forever tainted by evil deeds…evil intent. Later, when I finally reached the very limits of my guilt and had  finally proven my worth to Mother, I broke that prized bow _myself_."

Ryuko casually shrugged, not quite willing to freely engage in heartfelt consolation, but also not wanting to coldly abandon her sister in what she could sense was a raw, exposed moment. She chose the center path, as much as she could. "Shoulda told her to just _fuck off_. 'S what I woulda done…that fucking _cunt_."

"A good general will only fight battles she has already won. There was no conceivable way to win against Ragyo at that time, unless I wanted to foolishly sacrifice my long-term chances at completing my secret mission. So I had no choice but to play the part of the 'good soldier'. Sacrifices were made in the name of the planet's future. _This_ guilt is mine alone to bear."

Out of the corner of her eye, she carefully observed Ryuko's head bob in silent acknowledgement. Satsuki took the time to nonchalantly check over her sibling's form for signs of injury or other evidence indicative of misguided, violent mischief. Detecting none, she turned back to her bow, drawing a final arrow before she called it quits for the day.

"' _Si vis pacem, para bellum._ It is the spirit, the very essence of the art of war, practiced to secure a life of peace. Sun Tzu, the author of _The Art of War,_ held flexibility and adaptability as the prime traits of a good general. One who is able to suit formations to best exploit the conditions is better suited to victory than another who, despite a larger army, is unwilling to take advantage of certain situations. Archers in an army brought specialization to the battlefield by separating the skilled from the simple. Much like a sniper's bullet has the cascading effect of striking fear into his target's entire entourage, a few well-placed arrows could throw an entire battalion into disarray by causing the weak-hearted soldiers to break rank out of the sheer terror of being the next to be struck by the archer. The psychological effects of a few arrows were _more_ useful than a pitched infantry battle of attrition."

At this, she let loose her final shot, gracefully piercing the final grape lodged up high in a faraway tree's crook with uncanny precision.

Impressed, Ryuko's eyebrows raised up in genuine surprise. "Wow. That's…so fucking _hardcore_." She silently mused how she could effectively use this tactical theory in her online video game battles…it made a disturbing amount of sense. It then also saddened her to realize that her dear sister was forcibly immersed in such heavy philosophies from an early age out of sheer necessity. Ryuko made a mental note to increase her mercy allowance towards Satsuki threefold on the spot…the deep implications of such a hard life were terrifying to her, indeed. Scales needed to be balanced, for karma's sake.

Satsuki slowly nodded, then sighed quietly to release a marginal amount of built-up strain. "This, and the noble story of Robin Hood were what inspired me in my obviously impressionable youth. All those silly stories...they helped to forge my iron mindset."

Her old practice yumi set down upon its worn cover, she turned to finally face Ryuko directly. "Imouto-san...you know what they say about the candle that burns twice as bright?" She casually tossed her yotsugake glove next to the bow cover as she patiently awaited an answer.

Looking up slyly with a devilish grin of barely concealed lust, Ryuko pursed her lips and murmured "What, that it's twice as _hot_? Because that's sure as hell true!"

"No. It means that life is too short to waste on petty things. You are a hybrid, aided by your life fibers, so you have all the time in the world. I do not have the same benefit of a long, healthy life to look forward to, I suspect…so I would move to skip to the apology portion of our conversation, if you will be so gracious to allow me the opportunity."

Satsuki kneeled in the grass just then, bowing her head low before her sibling in deference to the weight of honor she still owed.

"Ugh…now there's a word I can maybe _never_ hear again. _Hybrid_. I'm absolutely sick of that word. Between my muddled genetic stew and Inumuta's crappy little car…"

A quiet murmur rose from the Kiryuin soldier-at-heart. "Then use the word _alloy_ instead. Two materials that come together to create a stronger you."

Eyes were rolled, but Satsuki couldn't tell, as she was intent upon contemplating her inner eyelids until otherwise forgiven. Ryuko mumbled and grunted. " _-sigh-_ Yes, ' _O Mistress of All Ferrous Metals_ '…I get it."

Arched eyebrows were perched upon still-sealed eyes. The slightest nod accentuated her mild surprise at the notion. "Indeed. Perhaps this is the secret of your _attraction_ to me, hmm?"

The pun-fueled creature known as Matoi Ryuko pawed at the terrible joke as it lay there weakly in the conversation. "Oh, groan…you actually _went_ there. Gag. Choke. _Gasp_ , even. Well…hmm, lessee here. Nnnn _nope_! That would be your  ass, actually."

"…oh, really?"

"Yep! I'm like sixty percent for the ass, forty percent for the boobs! Although…your knockers _are_ magnificent works of art, too….mayyybe…um…fifty-one, forty-nine? I dunno. I _might_ need to do some more calculations…"

Satsuki did not move, her head still bowed low to accentuate the serious intent of her form. She appreciated being lusted after in some small, strange way…but her scarred soul would not allow her to rest unless she emphatically proved her sorrow's sincerity beyond all doubt.

Ryuko emitted a long, drawn out sigh, directed loudly and slowly through her nostrils for full effect. "Hey, c'mon. Enough of that wussy bowing and scraping crap. Get up, it's movie night. It's your turn to choose, too. So up and at 'em, Admiral Grouchy-Pants!"

" _Please_." It was a single word, phrased as a subtle yet urgent request. Ryuko knew enough about her sister's internal working to recognize that this wasn't going to end without directly engaging the issue at hand.

"Hey. Satsuki. Come _on_ …look up here. Meet my gaze? Believe me when I say that I'm all right. I…I know you didn't _really_ mean to hurt me, okay? I know you better than that. I _know_ you love me, and I also know how hard this is for you…it is for _both_ of us. 'Kay?"

Twin trickles of solitary tears marched a straight line down Satsuki's flushed cheeks. Her eyes tracked up robotically, ticking off inch by jerky inch until they lined up with their intended coordinates. The tears did nothing to hint at her internal workings, though: her face was of weathered granite in its unyielding grace.

The former warlord struggled to succinctly state her current awareness in a proper and controlled manner. It didn't exactly work out as planned. Instead, she huskily whispered as blundering thoughts were offered in a hastily prepared blur. "Matoi Ryuko-sama. I want you to know that I'm sorry for being so damned…well, **_me_**. Please find it in your heart to have patience. I _am_ trying! I just feel so lost…as if I don't have the luxury of an emotional map, nor any points of reference to mark either my progress _or_ direction!"

Matoi Ryuko produced a warm, loving grin and gently traced Satsuki's delicate features with an equally delicate touch. "Neither do the rest of us, Sats. We are _all_ lost, in our own way. Time to stop pretending we know better, I guess? We're charting unknown territory here, you and me. I'll…cling to you if you'll cling to me? Does that sound cool, Satsuki? We can, like, be two fucked up peas in a cozy little pod, snuggled up together on the living room sofa as we catch up with some of Hollywood's finest crap? Whaddaya say? Wanna go steady, hot stuff?" Eyebrows were waggled in an exaggerated show of sheer seductive majesty.

The incredulousness of Kiryuin Satsuki's expression could not have possibly been captured in any form: it had to be witnessed to be truly believed. Wide blue eyes twitched as a dizzy, befuddled head tilted and shook to and fro, unable to process this unusual scenario at all. "How do you… _do_ this, Ryuko? How do you possess the ability to just…reach inside me and smooth over the very creases of my warped soul so effectively? _How_ could I be so blessed to f-find you in this chaotic life…h-how?"

Ryuko dropped to her own knees, pulling Satsuki up into a tight embrace at the same time: no resistance was offered, so lightheaded and giddy was the love-struck young Kiryuin. "Ha! It's fuckin' magic, that's how! I am yer wizard of lurrrve! Bow to me and my sparkly lust powers! Let 'em _heal_ ya, gorgeous! Ha, oh wait! Look, you're _already_ bowed before me!"

"Matoi Ryuko, you are utterly…incomprehensible!" Satsuki gasped, a stampede of chuckles roiling about woozily in the pit of her fluttering stomach. Ryuko was about to craft and try to sell yet another ultra-sugary quip about the use of a magical something or other, but Satsuki's greedy lips quickly sealed off any attempts at further verbal communication for quite some time.

* * *

The movie's credits rolled by, thunderous volume slowly being lowered to lessen the harsh impact of Rage Against The Machine's sonic vitriol. Ryuko casually plopped the remote onto the coffee table with a clatter, then snuggled her chin back down to rest upon Satsuki's ample chest of heavenly coziness. "So…whatcha think? Not bad for a Keanu Reeves movie, right?"

Satsuki, eyes still transfixed upon the television screen, nodded slowly. "That was quite good, Ryuko. I will admit that I'm not all that familiar with science fiction as a genre, but I can certainly see the possibilities. Science fiction is the mythology of the future, after all! The cinematography was serviceable, as were the effects. Did you notice, for instance, that the 'digital rain' symbols on the computer screens consisted in part of reversed katakana characters? That was a nice detail. Oh, and the costumes were…shall we say, quite _pleasing_ to me."

Impish lips were pursed to an evil button of mischievous thoughts. "Ooohhh? So that means you wouldn't miiiiind if I invested in some leather…accessories that I've had my eyes on recently, yeah?" Satsuki rolled her eyes over to match Ryuko's devilishly grinning face.

"I _-cough-_ would offer no resistance to this plan, no. Hmm…perhaps if I slicked your hair back just right…hmm….yes, interesting…" Ryuko found her wild mop being pushed back against her skull as Satsuki's hands squished and prodded. She closed her eyes and purred internally, soaking in the gentle caresses of Satsuki's silly hair shapery.

Ryuko quietly murmured (with an obviously fake trace of jealousy) "Oh, I _see_ what's going on here. Trinity, right? Like her a lot, do ya?"

"Well, of course! She was, by far, the most competent one of the bunch."

"Mmm. Also the _hottest_ …right?"

"Ah…- _ahem_ -…I would concur with this assessment, yes."

"Well...now I know what _I_ want for Christmas, onee-san...shiny leather pants! I would rock so hard in those! Aw, yeah… _my_ perfect butt in shiny leatherrrr _mmmm_ …"

Satsuki discovered that someone had somehow embedded a high voltage line within her neck, giddy pleasure sending shivering jolts up her spine as Ryuko's mouth pecked delicate kisses under her elegant jawline. The young Kiryuin patted the amorous snugglebeast upon her head, gently chiding her to cease any further teasing.

"Now you _know_ we don't have the time to get into anything like that, Ryuko. We have to start getting ready for Jakuzure-sama's concert this evening, remember?" A gust of mildly aggravated air blew out from under her chin, creating another round of chills as the pouting brat of horniness reluctantly withdrew from her post-movie snack. "Hmph…that's what _quickies_ are for, ya spoilsport!"

"I do not want to run the risk of being late, Matoi. This is very important to Nonon! She has worked very hard to get this ensemble together, and this is the closest she will be to us during her tour…this _is_ her hometown stop. We simply must be there to provide her with our love and support!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know…it's important. I got it, I know…"

"Very well. I shall allow another ten minutes of cuddling, if you wish. Then we must be up, to prepare for the evening's activities. All right?"

"Aw…can't ya just get Soroi to work his magic? That's what he's there for, right? Come on…"

"I sent him away earlier to supervise the caterers. He is overseeing the preparations for tonight's dinner, after the concert. It will be up to us to achieve a properly clothed state, dear. I know, it is so very _hard_! But we _must_ rise up to the challenge! Surely you have the willpower to surmount  this incredible task, yes?"

"Rrr. Humph! Ya hard-assed…no-fun-allowed…wet blanket…colder-than-the-Arctic meany! I just wanted a little tiny bit of, y'know…fun! Like, just a little teensy bit of making out after a movie date kind of stuff. I wasn't gonna go all out of _control_ or anythin'…sheesh. _I_ can control myself!"

"Nevertheless, we do not need a repeat of the 'headboard incident."

"Wh-that wasn't _my_ fault!  You were the one using the damned vibe control without warning me! I just…reacted like anyone woulda done, in those circumstances!"

"I don't know 'anyone' with that kind of 'orgasm-fueled' strength, Matoi. It took the contractors over a week to repair that little 'reaction' of yours."

"Ah, yeah…well? I was just…uhh…surprised. Th-that's all."

" _That's all_? Well, in that case… _I'm_ going to start wearing a bell. I don't want to run the risk of 'surprising' you by mistake and thusly achieving low-Earth orbit as a result, after all."

"Rrr…yer just jealous because I've _been_ in orbit, and you haven't! Maybe you should wear a _muzzle_ instead, Captain Sarcasma!"

"Oh good heavens…no, Matoi. That would be a much-needed accessory to add to _your_ ensemble, 'Little Miss Narrator of Absolutely Everything Sexual to Everyone Within Earshot'!"

"Yeah, so? Keep my mouth busy, then!"

"Yes. I will…hence the muzzle."

Her libido utterly defeated, Ryuko buried her snout into Satsuki's shoulder, settling for the comfort and scents of the lovely Japanese woman's glossy black mane instead. She released an exasperated sigh, making sure to tickle Satsuki's sensitive neck with it as subtle revenge.

The Kiryuin heiress smirked, enjoying the quiet moment of intimacy they were sharing. As aggravating as Ryuko could be at times…she wouldn't trade it for all the tea in the world. She stroked the hair about Ryuko's scalp, brushing the ever-unruly strands away in a practiced curve around the delicate cup of her ear. Bringing a semblance of neatness to this warzone of red and black tresses always brought her a tiny spot of peace.

The steady rhythm of breathing was interrupted by a kitten-like yawn. Ryuko blinked, then rotated her head until a satisfying - _crick_ \- emanated from her neck. She started to idly play with an errant bit of Satsuki's perfectly shorn hair as Ryuko murmured a query.

"I have a question, Sats. Why do we stay here…in this house? Shouldn't we move away from this place?"

Satsuki stared at the ceiling, then inspected the walls. Her eyes sought out patterns in the wood as she sought to formulate an adequate response. "I choose to stay here…to defeat her. To make her contributions mean nothing. To win over her memories by creating superior ones: this is the best defeat I can possibly imagine."

Ryuko watched Satsuki's eyes carefully as she pressed on with her line of impromptu questioning. "But...there are such bad memories here? Why put yourself through that? I want you to heal, not open old wounds over and over again."

Satsuki shrugged, looking around the room as she reminisced about past events. "Hmm. Bad memories. True, there are some…however, they are paved over by good ones every day. That table over there in the side kitchen, where Ragyo once struck me unconscious for complaining about some soup that was too hot? Now, I think of our hilariously failed cake experiment. This couch? Here, I recall the time you laughed so hard at those cartoons you fell onto the floor, not the time she hit me so hard the hearing in my left ear went away for two days for failing to properly put a book back on the shelf."

Ryuko winced, not knowing of these regrettable childhood incidents until just now. She whispered "Oh, yeah. I can see that, I guess. So the…baths? Um…what about them?"

One eyebrow cocked itself up, if to accentuate the briefest glimmer of acknowledgment to their significance. "Actually, I recently went through them…wandered in while I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, not too long ago. I felt...nothing. However, they will _never_ draw water again. I should have them destroyed, to be honest. But I would rather focus my energies upon other, more important ventures. To let it bother me would lend power to her terrible legacy, and I shall suffer no more under the shade of _her_ ghost."

Satsuki felt Ryuko's head bob slightly in understanding. "Yeah. I have different ways to cope with memories like that, I guess. I go out and…um, cry by myself sometimes. I talk to Senketsu, like, all the time these days. He rests on my shoulder, ya know…tells me the right thing to do when I kinda feel like I lost my way? He was part of my _soul_ , Satsuki. Still is, I guess….and probably always will be. I kinda stopped with the whole 'furious anger tree punch' thing though, it really wasn't working out well for me, I guess…"

Satsuki grinned, relief blooming in her heart as she heard this admission. "No, it wasn't. The idea is to eventually hurt less, not more. At least, that is what they tell me. I appreciate you telling me this, Ryuko-sama. Perhaps I can worry just a bit less now when I inevitably hurt you and force you to run away from me again…?"

"Oh, come _on_. I just call that ' _The Kiryuin Satsuki Experience_ '…I only run away to marshal my strength so I can triumphantly return and kick your ass!"

"As long as you come back to me, I care not about the circumstances of your return."

"Well, of _course_ I always come back, Kiryuin. This is where I park my bike!"

"Ah, I see. Is that…all, then?"

"Well, no. I _also_ leave my guitar case here, too!"

"Ha, this is true, Matoi. Well, it's good to know that I can count on you to leave your personal junk strewn about, since this is apparently how you mark your territory? I suppose I shall only fret if both your bike and guitar case are gone...then I will be certain you have returned to your rōnin ways."

"Nope. Not gonna happen, no more wandering for me. My heart is here, too. I will always return for that reason alone."

"This is good to hear. Ah, but perhaps I was referring to your status as a student, hmm?"

"Aw, c'mon. I just graduated high school! I'm a student of _life_ , now."

"Matoi. You _cannot_ possibly be serious with that comment."

"Heh-heh-heh! No, no, oh _hell_ no. Nonon told me to say that someday if I _really_ wanted to get under your skin. Did it work?"

"Rrr...she knows me too well."

"HA! Yes! Okay, let's go get back at her then: we can totally make out right in front of her at the concert! That'll tweak her but good!"

"Ah...n-no, no distractions of that sort will be welcome! That would be cruel and unusual punishment. I want you on your best behavior tonight, Matoi! No stuff like that, _especially_ not in front of her! Am I crystal clear on this? Promise me!"

"Aw...yer no fun. She'd do way crueler stuff to someone who royally pissed _her_ off, I'll bet..."

"Well then, all I ask is for you to be better than her. All right?"

"Pfft! I am so much better than her already. She just can't compare to my awesomeness!"

" _-sigh-_ Yes, of course. Now go get dressed. We have a concert to attend...in a _civil_ and _polite_ manner!"

"Yeah, yeah...no promises for afterwards, though!"

"Matoi, you have to behave through dinner as well. Please remember that."

"Hmmph! Well, now…that depends on what I choose to have for _dessert_."

* * *

"Ahh…Lady Satsuki-sama herself, in the flesh! I see you were able to escape the clutches of the corporate boardroom? What evil did you have to defeat to secure _that_ release, I wonder?"

The hand that deftly grasped her own as she exited the vehicle was one of calloused, well-worn skill and grace. Sanageyama Uzu made an exaggerated show of bowing low as he swept one arm towards the nearby sidewalk.

"Ah. As always, a consummate gentleman, Sanageyama-san…when you're not swinging a sword at either myself or Matoi Ryuko, yes?" She stepped out to join him on the sidewalk, sparkling blue evening gown shining brightly under the lights as Ryuko zoomed away to find a parking space.

"I will admit: I had expected you to be dropped off at the entrance so you could soak in all the paparazzi attention as you entered the theater via the red carpet…isn't that how the darlings of society do it these days?" Uzu murmured, and he was genuinely surprised to see Satsuki's face wrinkle up in a rare show of confusion.

"For a local concert such as this? I would be surprised if the press was comprised of more than just the local arts section of the city's newspaper, so I don't…why on Earth are you looking me in such a strange manner, Sanageyama?"

He chuckled in as polite a manner as he could muster without risking the offense of his former commander. "I take it you must be _quite_ busy with work, my Lady? You don't know just how big this concert series has become, do you? I mean sure, how could anything _big_ come from the likes of 'Nonon the Evershort', right? And yet…here we are!"

"Oi! Back off, ya jerkwad. The lady is spoken for!" A black and red tuxedo-clad Matoi Ryuko sauntered up to the curb, insinuating herself between Uzu and Satsuki, who promptly rolled her eyes at the unfolding scene.

"Ah, Matoi. My favorite punching bag! How are you doing on this fine evening?" he leered sardonically, and Ryuko snorted and fired back a pithy retort. "Wow, that's funny, Monkey Man. Mmmmost people can beat a punching bag, yet _that_ triumph still eludes  you to this very day, eh?"

"Not true! I whupped your ass once, if you recall? That was a fine day. I'd have wiped the floor with you for good if you hadn't snuck away like a coward at the last second, too!"

"Oh, please. I didn't even know how to use my kamui at that point…and it was the _last_ chance you ever had of defeating me and you _know_ it!"

"I've come close to kicking your ass several times since then! It's only a matter of time, Matoi! I _will_ triumph! My skill grows exponentially these days!"

"You will _dream on_! Yer lucky I even bother to humor you into breaking a sweat at all!"

Lady Kiryuin Satsuki observed the clash of macho braggadocio, her hand slowly rising up to cover her face in silent embarrassment. She sighed, then cleared her throat as a firm signal to discontinue the cocky arms race now playing out before her.

"Since when have you two clashed recently? I was under the impression that you knew better than that now, Sanageyama? You can never hope to truly defeat Matoi…you know the odds are impossibly stacked against yourself due to her…innate enhancements?"

Ryuko, while still staring at Uzu with fiery defiance, casually stated out of the corner of her mouth "Oh yeah…I kinda forgot. I've been cheating on you, Sats."

Satsuki blinked, then a tiny gasp escaped her throat as she froze on the spot. Ryuko then turned a glowing shade of red as she immediately realized how that off-the-cuff remark impacted her sister's graceful poise. She smacked her forehead loudly as she grimaced at her verbal clumsiness.

"Um…wait. Wow. That came out really, really wrong. I _meant_ to say that, since you can't spar with me most of the week due to yer corporate work load, I've been dropping by his dojo on occasion to humor his pathetic ass. _Apparently_ this monkey would feel bad or whatever if he unleashed his full power against his students? So he tries his luck with me…that way, he can go all out without obliterating his poor disciples. _Apparently_ that would be bad for his school's reputation, or whatever…although constantly losing to me in front of his students is bad for his rep, in my opinion? Yet he still does it anyways...he begs me for it!"

Sanageyama gritted his teeth, shaking his fist at the gleefully unimpressed young warrior. "There's no one else left anymore that can handle the brunt of my full power assault! Of _course_ I need to spar with you! You're indestructible! You said so yourself!"

Ryuko casually examined her nails, somewhat hastily painted a bright glittery red for the evening's show. "Aw, no worries, Sanageyama. You can beat on me alllll you want. It's no skin off my back. Personally, I'm glad to assist with that…your students need to learn that there is great value in losing, which you do so very _well_ against me!"

Shaking fists were accompanied by low growling as he gesticulated wildly towards his coquettish antagonist. "Rrrrr…someday, you'll fall before me, Matoi! This, I swear! Then on that day we shall see who is laughing!"

Lady Satsuki rolled her eyes towards the heavens once more, then took control of the situation with her patented Kiryuin 'Cough of Absolute Seriousness' (絶対深刻さの咳): this immediately snapped the quibbling pair into meek compliance.

"Come now, both of you. I can hear that there is apparently quite a crowd gathered at the theater's door? Time to make a grand entrance of it, I suppose…thought I am loath to play that part for those damned photographers. Suffer I must for being the youngest female CEO in all of Japan…eh? _What-?_ "

Sanageyama's eyes lit up as he quickly darted between the two young ladies, entwining both of his arms with each of theirs. "Aw, yeah! I can be part of a grand red carpet entrance, just like the movie stars do! Sweet!" He puffed up his chest, strutting as though he were a particularly fine example of a bird-of-paradise, imagined chicks everywhere bowing before his supreme show of extreme manliness.

Ryuko grimaced, jaw jutting out defiantly as she pulled back her arm as though scalded by his swagger. "Hey! I ain't yer fashion accessory, jerkwad! Hands off! Besides…maybe _I_ should be the center piece tonight, yeah?! I'm  way hotter than _you_ , Kanto Monkey Boy!"

Lady Kiryuin Satsuki stiffened just then, her sparkling cobalt high heel clacking ominously upon the concrete. The Pavlovian response was immediate in both her companions, she duly (and proudly) noted: they immediately froze and surrendered to her forthwith primary control of the discussion.

"This situation has obviously changed. I was under the impression that this was to be a quiet local affair, but now it's plain to see that this is a major media event. It is my own fault for not studying the situation more closely beforehand, but for now: both of you…listen up! Here is how it will be!"

Ryuko and Uzu exchanged nervous glances, neither willing to dare interrupt when Satsuki was in full tactical warlord mode. Satsuki stood at full attention, hands pressed behind her back in stiff military fashion. Her stone face and dour expression projected all the seriousness required to ensure their full cooperation, and her slanted eyebrows reached their nadir to accentuate the intense gravity of her mood.

"I have done my best to protect my Elites during our time together from the soulless jackals that are the tabloid press. When the full might of Honnōji Academy was at my beck and call, this was but a trifling task…but here and now, things are _different_! As such, we need to plan accordingly. Uzu-sama, I will be disallowing your attempt to be the central person in this entrance, but not for the reasons you presume. _If_ we were to enter as such, the press would immediately focus upon you, and your public life would explode with rumors, accusations and wild hearsay. You would be dogged all the way back to your dojo with insinuations of a most vexing nature, and even your garbage would be torn apart for the tiniest shreds of evidence of your every action. I wish to spare you of such a curse. And you…Ryuko…"

Her expression softened, and to Uzu, an unheard of phenomenon was occurring before him: Lady Kiryuin Satsuki was uttering a most gentle plea. "Ryuko, it's not that you aren't the most beautiful one here, or the brightest star in my heavens. It's for much of the same reasons…and I do not want the paparazzi attaching even more unwanted attention to you than they already do."

Ryuko shot a quizzical look at the young Kiryuin. "Oi, whaddaya mean, 'they already do'? Who even knows who the hell _I_ am?"

Satsuki sighed, her temple starting to pound like her usual mid-work-week migraine. "The attention of the REVOCS court cases is drawing the attention of the entire _world_ , Ryuko. The press already wants every single molecule of my attention, even though I need to marshal my strength and navigate the legal proceedings in the best manner I can! They are at a critical juncture, and I cannot afford to be distracted by those…vermin! That some of them might even be _here_ tonight is irritating enough! The tabloid press has decided that you must be my personal bodyguard, since they have no other real evidence to go on. They don't speak much of you as of _yet_ , but…" A deep frown settled upon Satsuki's face, mulling over the potential seriousness of what the near future might hold for both herself and her loved ones.

Her eyebrows crashing together in a mid-forehead collision of concern and worry, Ryuko pouted a surprised expression of sudden and profound sadness. "I…I didn't know about any of that crap! Why…why don't you ever confide to _me_ about that shit? That sounds crazy as hell…and I've _lived_ crazy!"

Satsuki, fingers rubbing her aching temple, shrugged and caressed her sibling's cheek with delicate glove-lined fingers. "Look Matoi, if you really want me to do a 'Bring Your Lesbian Lover to Work' day sometime soon, that's absolutely fine by me! But _please_ understand that there is so much of my life that you simply do not know about. I try to protect you from this kind of thing on purpose. I wish not to taint you with my horrible occupational stress, as it would likely drive a person not properly versed in such things to the brink of utter insanity! Power and fame brings its own poisonous side-effects to the table, and I wish to spare you as much of this as I can...now _please_ …will you trust me?"

Ryuko slowly reached up and squeezed Satsuki's hand lovingly against her cheek, gently whispering to her "Yeah…I trust you. You _always_ have the best plans!"

Sanageyama Uzu, dark green-rimmed shades now perched upon his long nose, whistled to himself a quiet tune as he observed the situation from afar. His belt buckle was examined for the third time in a row before Satsuki gently cleared her throat, holding out her right arm in his general direction. "Come. It would appear that I have need of a viridian fashion accessory to complete my ensemble's crimson and cobalt-themed color palette. Are you currently available for such an arrangement, good sir?"

Uzu smirked as he waltzed over to his appointed position as arm decoration. "Huh. _Gentle_ diplomacy…from you, of all people? I never thought I'd see the day, Lady Satsuki-sama!"

Ryuko snorted as she latched onto Satsuki's left arm. "Hey, yer lucky you can see anything at all, ya pompous jackass! Seriously…sewing yer own eyes shut to fight lil' ol' _me_? Talk about overly dramatic!"

"Heh! You'd be surprised what I can see _these_ days thanks to my 'enlightenment', Matoi!" He casually glanced up and down at her slim figure and she squawked indignantly, face reddened by a sneak attack of sudden embarrassment.

"Ah! N-no _peeking,_ you…peeping hentai jerkface!" she spluttered as Sanageyama chortled to himself gleefully at her blustery reaction. Satsuki blatantly ignored the comedic exchange, steeling herself for a round of exposure to the press being foremost in her mind. Instead she pointed to his face in a stern manner.

"Uzu-sama, it's almost dusk. You may wish to remove your sunglasses before we enter…?"

He capitulated to her gentle demand, deftly sweeping the glasses from his face and expertly depositing them into his suit's breast pocket. "I have to go all-out for you, Satsuki-sama. My eyes have been opened! That's where the 'enlightenment' comes from!"

Satsuki emitted a brief - _harrumph-_ as she regarded him with a faint smirk. "Hmph. Indeed, Sanageyama-sama…indeed. Shall we, my friend?"

He grinned as he raised up Satsuki's arm in an awkward puppet show of triumph. "We shall, my friend and…comrade-in- _arms_!" He chuckled, grinning wildly at his self-perceived home run of a joke.

"Oh. My. _God_. Sats…if anyone asks? He is with _you_. I  so don't even _know_ who that man on your arm even is, seriously…" Ryuko retched and choked emphatically as Satsuki straightened up and started their journey towards the theater doors, a cacophony of flashbulbs and murmuring making itself known as the trio drew near.

"Oh, my dearest Ryuko-chan. It only gets _worse_ from here, I assure you."

* * *

Running in high heels is never an easy task…yet they were able to pull it off, time and again. Fighting in high-heel-equipped kamuis as they did, the sisters perhaps had just a bit more experience than most girls of their age when it came to high-speed maneuvering and weaponized stiletto heel footwear deployment.

This combat experience proved valuable once again to Lady Satsuki as they came to a screeching halt next to the theater's coat check room. Gasping for breath was accompanied by a quick flurry of soothing hugs as Satsuki sought to immediately calm her volatile sibling down from her first brush with tabloid paparazzi hell.

Matoi Ryuko trembled with fear, a rare sight indeed in these times. "Th-the… _horror_. L-like the fucking Walking Dead…but with like a m- _million_ goddamned cameras!" Geared pupils wide open, with fight-or-flight urges still coursing through her tense body, she grabbed Satsuki's shoulders and stared intensely into her sibling's concerned face. "I. Will.  Never. Doubt…your judgment ever again, Satsuki! This I absolutely _swear_ to you. After _that_ fricking debacle…!"

Satsuki frowned, then emitted a hollow laugh as she ruefully murmured "I wish I could have recorded that statement just now, Matoi. You know…in a court of law, _that_ would be a binding-"

Her train of thought was cut off as Sanegeyama stumbled in behind them, a glazed expression of mild shock coloring his face. "Satsuki-sama? Can…can we go back to fighting COVERS now? Please?"

Ryuko sneered derisively, her fangs denting her lower lip in sheer rage as she readjusted her crimson cummerbund. "Can…can I just go back out there and take 'em all out? Those savage fuckers can't get away with…one of 'em actually _grabbed my ass_! Like I was on the damned train or something!"

"Regrettably, they _are_ actually humans, believe it or not…and the law would frown upon such a course of action, Matoi. I suppose we would be able to claim self-defense in only the first…hmm…twenty or so homicides? After that, the authorities would take a rather…dim view of such a public slaughter. Even if those pigs _do_ deserve such a fate!"

Satsuki demurely brushed off her dress, then proceeded to focus her legendary concentration to project that of practiced grace and serenity. "Well then…now that the 'Battle of Honnōji Theater' has drawn to a close, let us enjoy the spoils of war, yes? Let us go now…and greet our dear friends!"

Ryuko perked up, a fiendish plan suddenly blossoming in her mind. She started sprinting down the side of the theater, planning to stalk and subsequently dole out a surprise-tackle to the wily and elusive target known as Mankanshoku Mako. Her fiber-enhanced senses expertly picked out her prey's location, but she found herself to be sadly outclassed in this particular maneuver.

Mako stopped mid-chat with Gamagōri Ira, her ears twitching and wiggling in an animated manner. In one physics-defying motion, she perched upon the back of her seat, homed in on her target and launched herself at the incoming Ryuko cruise missile, swatting her down effortlessly with her own infallible cheer-powered sunshine laser.

" _Ryuko-chanRyuko-chanRyuko-chan!_ RYUKO-CHAAAAAN! I missed you somuchsomuchsomuch SO MUCH!" Mako burbled and wept for joy, crushing Ryuko with her love-powered wrestle/hug. Ryuko gasped and laughed at the same time, giggling between gulps of sweet oxygen. "Mssd…you…too, Mko! Cn I…try…the…breathing…thing…now? Urk! Gack!"

Huge brown orbs shimmered with moisture as Mako joyfully blubbered her thought processes to all in the immediate area, concepts of privacy and decorum be damned. "Ryuko-chan! I missed you _so much_ , and we need to catch up, and I need to tell you how awesome and tasty the sesame ginger wasabi popcorn is here! And the Caribbean Key Lime potato chips! _Ohmygod_ and they have blue raspberry cotton-candy flavored _soda_! How I even made it _this_ far in life without trying  that is beyond me! Oh, and there's also some buttered popcorn-flavored _gum_! Miracles! But I already had some of  that, I discovered that stuff last week, but they have it here, too! You should try it! OH YEAH, and they have _chicken-wing ice cream_! Can you believe it?! It's like they _knew_ I was coming! - _GASP_ -! They ALSO have beer-flavored ice cream! Mankanshoku Mako doesn't like the taste of beer NO NOT AT ALL! But Gamagōri-sama said it was actually pretty good! The future of food is _here,_ Ryuko-chan! Aaaand I also found some Hōjicha Roasted Green Tea _Kit Kats_ at the market the other day! I brought some for Satsuki-sama to try! I think she will just _love_ them, Ryuko! Oh yeah, and I might be pregnant! Oooh, I have some of those Kit Kats in my purse _right now_! I can give them to you to give to Satsuki-sama, it'll be even _more_ of a wonderful surprise for her  that way! Come _on_ , Ryuko-chan! Let's gogogoGO! We're all seated in the _front row_ , like fancy rich people! Come _on_ , silly, let's go!"

"H-huh? Wh-wh… _waaiiitaminute_ , whaaaat?" Hallucinogenic visions of cartoon refreshments danced before Ryuko's oxygen-starved eyes as her brain struggled to process such a blinding array of thought processes. Her stun-induced catatonia was broken by Mako as she dragged Ryuko bodily to the front row, past a varied array of annoyed, humored, grumbling, murmuring, snickering and chuckling theatergoers.

Mako plunked her down into a seat, then plopped back into her own, two seats over to the right. She latched onto Gamagōri Ira's huge arm as she proceeded to unleash a string of unfettered whispers into his captive ear. He nodded thoughtfully as Mako unloaded her most up-to-date version of current events upon him in lightning-quick fashion. Ryuko waved weakly to Ira as he nodded in her direction to officially recognize her abrupt arrival.

His deep baritone reverberated the air between them as he spoke. "Lady Matoi! It is an honor to see you once again! I am pleased that you were able to attend Jakuzure-san's concert!" She smiled wanly as she finally managed to get her vision to focus upon real, actual objects. "W-wouldn't miss it fer the world, big guy! And hey…couldja drop the 'Lady Matoi' crap? I'm just plain old Ryuko…"

His chin jutting up and out in a sincere show of honorific pride, Ira dismissed the request with a polite sniff. "Nonsense! You are as respected a friend as you were an honorable adversary. The name you have earned, in my most humble opinion. Ah, and Lady Satsuki-sama! I see that _you_ have arrived as well!"

Satsuki did, in fact, arrive at that moment, humbly ushered to her seat by Sanageyama Uzu. She quietly took her seat next to Ryuko, nodding politely to Gamagōri as she did. Ryuko coughed, then stretched out and clumsily arched her arm around Satsuki's seat back, hastily poking Mako's shoulder as she did. Satsuki slowly turned to Ryuko, her quizzical glare stabbing out icicles as Ryuko's hand flapped awkwardly in Mako's face. Quick as a cobra, Mako whipped a Roasted Tea Kit Kat package into Ryuko's waiting palm. Satsuki slowly looked down, then up again as she regarded her sibling's strangely out-of-place actions.

" _Matoi_. What _exactly_ do you _think_ you are-"

"Heh-heh-heh! Hey, Sats…wanna see a neat trick? Check it out, it's…chocolate magic!" Ryuko peered down into her open left palm which was conveniently situated in front of Satsuki, whose curious eyes followed suit.

Ryuko deftly flipped the candy up from her right palm, over Satsuki's head into her other hand: it seemingly materialized in her left hand from directly above as she carefully distracted Satsuki's gaze with her radiant yet sheepish glance.

"Ta-daah! Poof! Just for you, milady! Only the finest, weirdest treats from yours truly: the finest, weirdest Matoi Ryuko herself! Pretty cool, huh? Eh?" Satsuki's eyes darted around the theater, chagrined that she had been so skillfully misdirected in the simplest of ways. A brief blush rose up as she scolded herself for falling for such a ruse, laid out by such an…an _amateur_ tactician!

" _Matoi Ryuko_! We are in _public_! Can I not trust you to behave properly in such a setting? I swear, I may never begin to chisel away that crude…and you should _neve_ r snack so early, before the performance has even started! You can put away that damned candy until a more appropriate time arrives! And furthermore-"

Ryuko smirked, her evil knowing no bounds. "Oh, I see…so you _won't_ be wanting to try this delicacy right now? Rrright, Satsuki?" She ripped open the package just then, and the scent of tea-infused chocolate began to waft in the air between them.

Satsuki's eyes flashed with anger, and her voice continued to whisper-shout as she scolded the wayward savage. " _NO_! I told you that it is _most_ inappropriate to…to-"

Satsuki's nostrils flared briefly just then, and she froze mid-verbal-lash. Another quick flare, and the delectable scent was finally caught and carefully examined. Analysis complete, she abruptly changed out of her chastisement armor and slipped into something more agreeable as she cleared her throat nervously and mumbled "N-now, now…let's not rush to judgment too hastily. After all, you have shown in the past that r-rushing into battle without thinking has proven to be a most unwise decision. Perhaps a…closer tactical assessment is in order here. May I please…inspect that package, Matoi?"

Lower lip quivering in mock distress, Ryuko feigned an agonized expression as she blurted out "Gosh, I dunno, Lady Kiryuin…that would _apparently_ be against some dumb rule in some stupid high-society rule book that I guess I never received as a kid? I wouldn't want to…y'know, violate those ever-so-important rules! I mean, gee…Honnōji Academy Disciplinary Committee Chairman Gamagōri Ira is like _right there_! Hell, is it even _possible_ to maybe…loosen up and have some fun once in a while? I mean, come _on_ Satsuki! Who here would even _want_ some Hōjicha Roasted Green Tea Kit Kats? Sure, I guess they do _smell_ good, but-"

Satsuki's nose flared once again, this time from waves of Ryuko-fueled frustration. "Y-yes, Matoi. I _get it_. I am, of course, being unreasonable. I see now that I was…inflexible in my apparent harshness and that a reassessment of my attitude is in order, so t-that we may continue to e-enjoy our time out. Together. So. Yes. I agree. _Obviously_. Yes? Now, may I…?"

Ryuko crept close, her breath tickling Satsuki's ever-so-sensitive earlobe. The tiniest whisper carried a brief, seductive missive to her tortured ear. "I want something, too…"

Satsuki sighed, an exasperated microburst unheard to all save the crafty, leering Matoi. She snarled, then willingly lowered herself into the nether worlds of whispered treaties and quiet chocolate-related torture.

"What is it you _want_ , you…wretched, evil girl?"

"Tonight, after dinner, when we get home? You…me…the strap-on. Anal. I _need_ it, so very badly!"

"This…damn it, this _isn't_ sexual bartering!"

"Ain't it, though?"

"This is not _fair_!"

"Oh? Life is about being fair, now?"

"Grr…I…I… _fine_. I agree to your terms…you evil wench."

"Ooh, I dunno…we better pinky-swear on it? You don't sound convincing enough there."

" _Matoi_.  My word is _bond_."

"Hah! Better make that word 'bondage', if ya know what I-"

" _Ryuko_! _Damn you_!"

"Aw, sweet! Here ya go then, milady…"

The package was slowly plucked from Ryuko's blackmailing grasp. Satsuki brought the candy to her nose, where she inhaled the delicate tea and chocolate aroma once more. Carefully peeling back the wrapper, she slowly nibbled off a tiny hunk of the exquisite treat. The flow of Zen whirled inside her as she experienced a uniquely new experience: _this was ambrosia, the_ _food of the gods!_ she decided in that serene moment.

The tiniest orgasmic exhalation through her nostrils was all the proof that Ryuko needed to know that the success of her plan was now gloriously complete. She looked over at Mako and snapped her fingers lightly to get the required attention. She then smirked devilishly and winked at her, and Mako silently gave her a cheerful thumbs up as she proceeded to voraciously indulge in her own orgy of blissful junk food heaven.

Satsuki uttered a laconic, peaceful purr. She then slowly leaned over and, in an almost imperceptible voice of sultriness, whispered "Oh, Matoi. Just so you know: I didn't agree to actually use _lube_ , you just now realized with perhaps _some_ tiny hint of  regret..."

Ryuko's face dropped ten stories. Her mouth flapped soundlessly, hands grasped out at the air uselessly and eyes were blinking rapidly. She couldn't let her clever gambit be all for naught…nor could she handle the somewhat painful idea of tingling, heated lube being skipped altogether that evening, either. Her urgent rebuttal, however, was distracted by the crowd's murmuring that turned to cheers as the theater's lights dimmed at that exact moment.

An announcement from the loudspeakers shattered any concentration that may have been conducive to formulating a proper plan of reprisal. She would have to re-examine her checkmated position at a later time, it seemed. "Ladies and gentleman! Welcome to… _Pink Domination_!"

As the curtain was slowly drawn back, the stage's center platform rose up from below as multicolored spotlights started to randomly appear upon each performer. One by one, each musician began their part of the opening introduction, costumes glittering and glowing in the theaters many lights. Fog swirled in from the dark, rushing in to become whipping tendrils of chromatic luminosity as the stage show kicked into high gear. Drummer, guitarist, horn section and synthesizers were each individually illuminated by bright spotlights as their respective parts were introduced in the opening song's structure.

A sharp _tap-tap-tapping_ of a conductor's wand upon a music stand echoed throughout every speaker as the silhouette of a rather short woman wearing a rather tall conductor's cap rose up slowly from the central front stage riser, back to the audience as her fiercely sparkling body became the Sun in this solar system of shining satellite performers. A pink and white sequin-encrusted uniform burst forth a dazzling array of light rays as Lady Jakuzure Nonon slyly looked over her shoulder, a grin plastered upon her shiny, pink lips.

Arms poised high to begin, she took a moment to wink coquettishly at the audience, then burst out into her introductory declaration. "Prepare to be entertained cheerfully, jauntily, and utterly _impressively_!" Baton whipping forth, she then proceeded to launch her band into the full force of her carefully crafted musical onslaught.

The sight was nothing short of magical. A wildly impressive display of musicianship, skillfully directed by the diminutive and sassy firecracker, took the audience by storm, leaving no one unscathed. A few songs into the show, Kiryuin Satsuki took the briefest of moments to glance around her, her stern situational awareness demanding at least a token smidgen of environmental data. To her left, Ryuko was completely enthralled by the show's impact. One seat over, Sanageyama Uzu was listening with rapt attention, eyes closed and lost in a vast whirlwind of sensory input. Next was Inumuta Hōka, who was intent upon capturing the performance with his tablet's camera. Staring at the screen without blinking, he occasionally pecked at some setting or another, adjusting the video quality settings on the fly.

An eye roll made itself known upon Satsuki's face, shrugging imperceptibly as she thought to herself _'Tsk! Typical. Too busy documenting the event to actually allow yourself to become a part of its spirit? Oh, Hōka…'_ She then peeked to her right and observed Mankanshoku Mako, brown eyes open as wide as her gawping mouth as she tried to comprehend the awesomeness of the spectacle now before her. Gamagōri Ira served faithfully as her gripping point, his arm encircled in a viselike grasp. If any discomfort was experienced due to the anaconda crush of a hyper-excited Mako, he showed no signs of it externally: just a calmly observant expression of dutiful attention upon his face.

 _'These are my pantheon. My…family, I suppose? Is that what this feeling is, I wonder? The…giddy warmth I now feel within my breast? To be with one's family? I could learn to enjoy such a feeling, I suspect. I could, indeed…'_ Satsuki noted internally. She slowly allowed her hand to slip down to grasp Ryuko's, slim fingers casually presenting themselves in a bid to possibly be enveloped in tenderness. Ryuko jumped, suddenly distracted by the unexpected motion. She peeked down quizzically, then seized the digits within her own, squeezing firmly as she locked eyes with the slightly nervous young woman sitting next to her.

The slightest of grins appeared on Ryuko's face, plump cheeks of red cheerfulness squishing her eyes into thin, moisture-tinged slits of welling emotion. Satsuki's eyes fluttered, then looked forward to the performance. Her own face a bit warmer from a spreading blush, she nevertheless welcomed the flow of loving energy that was now radiating from the entwined hands between them. It was a new sensation, odd and slightly surreal, much like spying a delicate flower blooming in a once-barren warzone. She welcomed it with hesitant eagerness, her ever-present trepidation slowly fading into a warm, cozy bliss.

Satsuki floated like that for a while, allowing the concert to weave a fascinating sonic mindscape for her contented, dreamlike state. She was startled back into reality as the intermission made itself known, the music fading into raucous applause which sparked around her like a forest fire of intense praise. She sat there for a while, listening intently to the intriguing babble of dozens of animated conversations as they wove themselves into a single fabric of burbling, lilting voices.

Ryuko, turning from her own excited conversation with Sanageyama, gave Satsuki's hand a final squeeze and then stood up. Stretching, she leaned forward and blurted out "Sats, I'll be right back. Gotta pee!"

Satsuki shot a cold bullet of annoyed offense at her uncouth sibling. "Could you _possibly_ make the effort to phrase that in a more polite manner? Besides, I don't think you'll have time. The intermission ends in…let's see…less than _six_ minutes? Can you not wait until the end of the show? It would be impolite to come back late and interrupt…"

Ryuko, arms akimbo, leaned forward even more and mumbled "Oi…ya got a cup on ya I can use, then? You don't just _buy_ soda, you know…you  rent it!" Her foot tapping rapidly, Ryuko waited exactly two entire seconds before darting away in perceived conversational victory. Satsuki blanched reflexively at such unwanted imagery, yelling out to the rapidly disappearing Matoi "Ryuko, I don't actually recall you drinking any soda this evening…?"

The subject of her ire was gone, and she doubted her words even made it to Ryuko's stubborn ears. She settled back into her seat, idly checking the e-mail on her smartphone in an effort to catch up on Monday's work proceedings. Her thumb expertly flicked through message after message as she speed-read several important messages to allow herself to start formulating strategies and battle plans. _'Forewarned is forearmed: words to live by!'_ she thought, justifying to herself the quick dip into corporate activities during personal time yet again.

The time on her phone ticked off precious minutes, and her jaw grew firm as she noted the distinct lack of one Matoi Ryuko, rude child and about-to-be-declared-AWOL entity. She fired off a quick text to Ryuko, chastising her for not being more careful with her time management…and to get her ass back here _right this instant_! Her scalp tingled with burning anger when she then felt a vibration in the seat next to her, and she dully noted the phone of a certain irresponsible delinquent, the screen glowing through her jacket's pocket upon the received message.

The house lights dimmed, signifying the end of the intermission, and Satsuki's jaw protruded out in granite-sculpted disappointment. "How… _DARE_ she do this? I don't care  what happened, this is _inexcusable_! That damned brat cannot respect even the very simplest of courtesies? I swear, when she gets back here, I'll…I'll…" Satsuki quietly sputtered under her breath, crossing her arms and settling down in her concrete bunker of disapproval as the curtains slowly drew back once more.

A final, hasty glance down the theater's rows confirmed the lack of her sister's arrival once again, and she uttered a grunt of disgust as a shadowy figure approach the front of the stage. Jakuzure Nonon stepped into a solitary spotlight's circle, microphone in hand as she addressed the audience in her nasally demanding tone.

"Hello, everyone! I wanted to take a moment and sincerely thank you all for coming to this, my hometown stop on my very own concert tour!" Hoots and hollers accompanied a loud swell of cheers as she motioned her hands down, down, down to settle the crowd. "I don't normally speak at this particular point of the performance, even though I just know you all are hanging on my every word! However-"

"Like a monkey from a tree!" Sanageyama shouted out, and it took a brief moment for Nonon to recover from the unexpected comment. She shot a disapproving glare of pure death at him, the duration of which was measured in microseconds and the seriousness of which was measured in megatons. He flinched, a bit nervous at the thought of savage reprisals from the tiny nuclear girl. _'Perhaps he should work on his tact a bit more before attending public performances…or perhaps writing a will is in order instead?'_ Satsuki observed with a quiet chuckle.

" _-ahem-_ Anyways…I wanted to commemorate this stop on my tour to recognize someone. This person is an amazing individual and a selfless hero, and _all_ of us here owe her a tremendous debt…even if you all don't even know or realize it. She saved us all! This next song is dedicated to her…she knows who she is!" Nonon then performed a sharp about-face, taking her place at the conductor's spot on the floor and preparing to launch her next wave of musical therapy.

Fists clenched into painful balls, Satsuki's fury shot off the scale. Her mind spat out a litany of anger-induced sparks. _'I cannot_ _believe_ _this! She's actually going to miss a song that's dedicated to her! That stupid, obstinate, thoughtless, callous…FOOL! Damn you, Matoi! I'm ashamed to even…to even_ _know_ _you, now!'_ Her foot tapped in rhythmic impatience as she calculated just how little mercy she would spare the missing youth.

The song started, its staccato cadence immediately piquing the interest of the fuming young woman. Orchestral elements swelling in ever-increasing volume, she found herself appreciating the militaristic precision of the snare drum percussion march that was now issuing forth from the stage. Stringed instruments barked out a staccato of hurried suspense, and the triumphant layers of brass, woodwind and clacking percussion invoked an atmosphere of pomp and circumstance that would not have been out of place at a Honnōji Academy parade.

Kiryuin Satsuki found her foot changing its angry cadence, now falling perfectly in line with the song's juggernaut pace. _'Hmm. I must say…this tune is positively Wagnerian in its scope. Yes, yes…I quite like it! It is…not_ _exactly_ _what I would envision as being the soundtrack to Matoi's life, but…? It is certainly inspiring! Nonon certainly knows her…stuff…'_

The song reached a brief interlude, loading up for a thematic pause as it prepared to dive into the next part. A single crimson spotlight illuminated a figure upon the stage as an electric guitar's searing break slide cut through the orchestra's thumping lurch. Her eyes focused upon the performer, red and gold guitar shining brightly under the lights as tightly corded hands expertly carved jagged heavy metal grooves into the song's heart.

Her vision swam as she recognized just who it was, pounding out such riffing with such familiar head-banging enthusiasm…her own beloved imouto-san was on stage, jaw set forth in concentration as she belted out blistering guitar chords. Satsuki's mouth dropped open in loose shock. Several blinks did nothing to dispel the improbable vision now before her. She swallowed nervously, and then it hit her like a flung brick. _'This isn't a song about the hero Matoi Ryuko…it's a song about…oh gods above, it's for…_ _me_ _?'_

Kiryuin Satsuki shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She smoothed out her dress as she reeled back her silly ego. _'Oh, come on, Kiryuin. You are no hero. It cannot possibly be about you. I…'_

She caught a glimpse of Sanageyama Uzu, grinning with sincere admiration while darting a 'thumbs up' in her obvious direction. She released a tiny embarrassed cough, then turned the other way to see Mako, smiling at her in radiant, unbridled happiness as waterfalls of tearful joy flowed down her cheeks. Ira, ever the stalwart champion of grace, was also observed to have a single tear rolling down one side of his face. He became suddenly aware of Satsuki's gaze, and he stiffened up as his hand bolted up to swipe the offending moisture evidence from his jawline. The briefest of blushes washed over him as he cleared his throat and doubled his concentration efforts upon the show.

Kiryuin Satsuki focused her gaze on the show as well, resigned to the fact that it was, indeed, a song about her. Ryuko, grinning like a Cheshire Matoi, behaved as well as she could. It was Nonon's stage, after all…but the attention was spurring her to obscene levels of panty-moistening bliss. The song ended just then, and she huffed and panted out loud as a dam of endorphins burst in her skull.

She trotted up to the microphone and, before Nonon could stop her, blurted out "Hey, so this _next_ song is dedicated to an awesome guy who put his life on the line every day for years to shield someone very dear to me! This is for you, 'Iron Man'!' She stomped on a pedal in her floor effects rack, then immediately launched into laying down a lurching, loping dinosaur stomp of a metal riff. The quick-thinking band followed suit and plowed into the song along with her, regardless of how off cue the start of the song was…or how unplanned it was to Nonon.

Satsuki chuckled out loud, as she knew of few things more dangerous or ill-advised than to interfere with Jakuzure Nonon's musical control. As off-balance as she was, she was completely bowled over to witness Ira, who was now openly weeping like a towering blonde baby. Mako whispered soothing encouragement into his ear as she frantically patted his oak tree branch of an arm. He panned over to steal a quick look at Satsuki, and his slight blush turned into a full-on conflagration of shame.

She beamed a smile of sincerest gratitude over to him, and he was pleasantly surprised to see the words _'Thank you, my friend!'_ form from her lips. He shrugged awkwardly and nodded, unable to coherently do a damned thing right now except hurriedly dab at his eyes with a handkerchief.

The song now over, Ryuko quietly slipped into the stage's dark nether regions, and a few minutes later seemingly materialized out of nowhere back into her seat. She gripped Satsuki's forearm as she hurriedly whispered into her ear "Didja…didja see me, Sats? I am officially a _rock star_! Omigodthatwasawesome! I hope ya were surprised, I made sure it would be a complete surprise, I'll bet you were _so mad_ when I didn't come back after intermission! Were you mad? Huh? Come on, admit it! You were probably grumbling about 'how very disrespectful I was', and that you were going to 'destroy me for my insolence'! Right, nee-san?! I played that song just for you, you know which song, the cool military one? That's a song Nonon wrote for _you_! She was so cool fer letting me play on that one! Didja like it? Huh? Eh?"

Kiryuin Satsuki politely shrugged. "I hardly noticed. I figured that you were distracted by some shiny bauble or cheap trinket. I wouldn't be angry about something like that, it's simply how you are." Ryuko regarded the young Kiryuin with an unbelieving squint, then snorted. "You are so full of shit. You were livid. I can tell! I can see the line of deep red skin still, up near your hairline…that only happens when you are super pissed and about to blow yer top! You were _so_ mad."

Satsuki, her true feelings being found out so succinctly, changed defensive tactics. "Hush, you! The show is still going…respect others in the audience!" Ryuko pursed her lips, giggling sweetly as she locked onto Satsuki's arm. She murmured to herself "You are _still_ so mad, but it was all worth it to play your very own theme song in front of everyone and in front of you…!"

The rest of the concert flew by, and a dizzying array of well-crafted songs filled everyone with a rousing stew of heady emotions. Pop, techno, classical, rock ballads...even some traditionally inspired Japanese creations made their appearances in the set. The rousing finale, a song about not losing your way, left everyone's hearts swollen with inspiration and triumphant pride. Ryuko would be singing this one all the way home later, its melody thoroughly infecting her soul.

* * *

They waited backstage. Sporadic murmuring amongst the impromptu groupies was shattered by a round of applause as Jakuzure Nonon finally emerged from her dressing room. Wrapped in a pink robe emblazoned with black musical notes, sweat still glistened upon her forehead as various flower bouquets were hastily shoved into her arms.

"All right already, you jackals! Settle down, the lot of you!" she belted out in her most commanding and nasal tone. Her little arms could only hold a bouquet or three, so she started to bring them into her dressing room for lack of space. "You guys, I swear. If this doesn't get my pollen count up, nothing will! Still…thanks…" The Devas' tributes to her swelled her egotistical little heart beyond even the swelling of her now stuffed-up nose.

Kiryuin Satsuki stepped up to the diminutive songstress, bouquet in hand. She bowed slightly, then proffered the delicate arrangement to Nonon. "Jakuzure-sama. These are for you. Congratulations on such a successful show! I am, as always, amazed at your prodigious talent!"

A bundle of tulips and gardenias stared at Nonon, and her breath abruptly caught in her throat. "Ah…th-thank you, Satsuki-sama. I…appreciate them. They are so…so…"

"I hope you like them? Ryuko got them for you. I regret to admit that I didn't have the time to get them myself, my work schedule is so very hectic these days. They are…pleasing to you?"

"Uh…s-sure, sure. Of _course_ Ryuko got them, it's obvious…I m-mean, it's obvious who would have picked them up, yes. Thanks! Really, I appreciate the gesture." She seriously doubted that the grungy ruffian would have been practiced in the art of _hanakotoba_ …but Satsuki? Maybe? She couldn't recall if the Kiryuin heiress ever dabbled in that particular language.

"Nonon, I must say…that was an impressive outpouring of artistic effort. Words cannot express the emotions I felt during the show. It was a tour-de-force!"

"Well, of course! After all, I am the perfect bitch with perfect _pitch_!"

"Ha! This is a most…descriptive vision of yourself!"

"I know, right? You know, I wanted concert t-shirts that said that, but I was overruled, dammit. Marketing people are just no fun!"

Satsuki smiled, but it quickly faded as she noted Nonon's suddenly darkening expression. "What is it? Is there a problem…?" Nonon ominously cracked her knuckles, then hissed "Excuse me, Satsuki. I have to check on something. Be back in a moment…"

Inumuta Hōka and Sanageyama Uzu were by themselves, discussing the finer points of the tactics involved with proper Nonon irritation. "Oh, man! I wish I had a recording of that moment! Did you see her face, all scrunched up like that? It was priceless!" Uzu snorted with gleeful abandon, and Inumuta nodded as he adjusted his glasses.

Inumuta smirked at his tablet's screen, then stated bluntly "Ah! You shall have your wish, Sanageyama. I was able to tap into the soundboard for recording purposes, and I should have a full download of the concert available by this evening. Did you want the video I captured as well, or is audio alone sufficient?"

Sanageyama shrugged awkwardly, then suddenly looked away with a small, nervous cough. Inumuta frowned, then stared at Uzu as he continued to find something of intense interest somewhere in the above backstage rigging. He was about to ask exactly what the hell was the matter with him when he felt the viselike grip of small, yet amazingly strong fingers pinch his earlobe and drag him down to Nonon's height.

In the sweetest voice known to the condemned, she whispered a lilting query of blood-freezing iciness into his now-agonized ear. "Inumuta-san? My darling little puppy? Did I give you permission to record and distribute my hard work, free of charge? Hmm? Did I do such a thing?"

In the back of his mind, he calculated that he may was well just go ahead and get an earring, since his lobe was now just about pierced by her razor nail's fearsome grasp. In the front of his mind, however? He was about to pee his pants in mortal terror. Her breath was close enough to tickle his neck hairs, and this meant that her fangs were well within jugular range. He knew that his style of combat was suited mostly to long-range attacks, but if someone closed the distance like this? He was done for, and only quick thinking and base groveling could save his skin now.

"I…ah…must protest the comment about 'free', since I apparently neglected to mention that I have _just_ m-made the arrangements for a rather sizeable donation to your group's donation p-page, see?" His trembling index finger pointed to his tablet's screen, where said page was up, and the donation amount was filled out to the tune of five million yen.

Pink eyes darted from his face, to the screen, then back to his face. Smiling ever-so-sweetly, she reached over and tapped the screen, then changed the amount to ten million. She pressed 'accept', then watched as the payment was processed. Staring at his frozen features, she let him hang there for a few agonizing moments, until the phone in her robe's pocket chirped to announce a text message, merrily confirming the grand donation.

"Why, Inumuta-san! That is the most impressive donation I have _ever_ received! Thank you _so_ very much for your generosity! How does it feel to be such an ardent patron of the arts?"

Blinking as rapidly as his pulse, he nervously stuttered out "I-it feels _good_ , Jakuzure-san. A-as good as it feels to b-be alive!"

"Yeah? Good, that's good. Oh, and Hōka? Do that ever again, and the next donation will be _posthumous_."

She strutted away, letting the dog soak in his near-death experience. Trotting back over to Satsuki, she shrugged and mumbled apologetically 'So sorry for that interruption, Satsuki-sama. Sometimes I have to take extreme measures to protect my intellectual property, you know?"

"I understand. Being an artist can be tough in this day and age. You know, Nonon…I cannot express just how much you have grown as a musician. Like I was saying, that went so far beyond the standard classical concert I was expecting. I mean, really…those songs were just so expressive and thoughtful! Oh…well, maybe except for the one that was sung in German. That one was, shall we say, a bit haunting? I cannot put my finger on it, but…it was most unsettling to me."

Ryuko sauntered up just then, catching the tail end of the discussion in progress. "Oi, ya mean that weird 'Blumenkranz' one or whatever it's called? Yeah, me too? It was kinda creepy. I don't exactly know why, but I was getting actual goosebumps during that one…"

Nonon regarded the two sisters as they stood beside one another, Satsuki absent-mindedly rubbing her arms, as if a cold wind was blowing and thusly chilling her to the bone…while Ryuko stared off into space, a vacuous, perplexed expression upon her face as she frowned.

"Ah, yes. Well, that one is just an experiment in how different languages sound in general, and their overall impact on a song's mood? German is sort of a rude, brusque sounding language, and its severity doesn't really lend itself to any kind of gentleness. I thought that a song about something innocuous would be interesting, if it was sung in a vaguely loving and sensitive nature…but using a brutal-sounding language? That's all."

Satsuki nodded thoughtfully, then asked in a quiet tone "Innocuous? How so? What is it about? I did not see the lyrics to that song in the playbill."

"Uh…flower arranging."

"Ah, yes. That certainly sounds innocuous enough."

"Mmmyep."

Nonon turned just then and addressed the small crowd of onlookers. "Everyone, if you could please all come here? I have an announcement to make!"

The various Devas, associates and assorted onlookers formed a loose semicircle around Nonon as she commanded their attention. "I want to thank you all for coming tonight. It means a lot to me, and I want you all to know that I have looked to each and every one of you at one point or another for inspiration and support. I simply wouldn't have reached these heights unless I was standing on the shoulders of those taller than me, right? I mean, come on…look at me!"

A quiet titter of nervous laughter rippled through the group. She quickly pressed on, her rare self-deprecating joke feeling a bit weird on her normally hyper-arrogant lips. "Yeah, so anyways. I have an announcement, and I wanted to let you all be the very first to know that the 'Pink Domination' tour is going international! We just recently booked concerts in Australia, the United States and Europe! We also have an offer for a recording contract, so we might be putting out an actual _album_ soon!"

Shouts and cheers erupted from the gathering, and the whoops and hollers filled her heart to stratospheric heights. She blushed, then bowed to the crowd, hands help up to simmer the crowd down. "Now let's get to dinner! I'm starved!"

The crowd broke up, filtering out of the back stage area in groups of two and three people as they started towards their respective vehicles. Satsuki whispered into Ryuko's ear, who nodded quickly and darted away from the area. Nonon's eyebrow rose a bit, and Satsuki strode over to her as she confided in a hushed manner "I asked her to bring the car to the front. My back is aching a bit more than usual tonight. But…I also wanted to speak to you in private."

Nonon swallowed nervously, not knowing exactly what to expect from such a scenario. "Okay? So…what's up? Are you…is everything all right, Satsuki?"

Kiryuin Satsuki nodded, a wistful expression spreading upon her delicate features. "I'm fine, I think. I…life is never easy, of course. I'm just trying to do my part to improve the conditions of this world, in whatever way I can. I have risen to meet many challenges, but I have never done so solely on my own power. Ryuko has shown me a side to the world that I never thought was even…possible for one such as myself. And in doing so, I have perhaps learned a bit about how the human heart works, since I have ever been but a neophyte in such ways, yes?"

Jakuzure Nonon nodded, unsure of what to make of such a declaration. She bit her lip in tense anticipation, as she waited with suspense for the other shoe to drop right onto her heart.

"I have put a lot of thought into the last few years of my life recently, going back even to the fateful day my father told me the awful truth of the world. Nowadays, I have more insight into the… _true_ motives of people and _why_ they do what they do. You, Nonon, have been my dearest friend and closest confidant since I can remember. And yet…I believe that I might owe you an apology, Jakuzure-sama."

Nose wrinkled up into a mask of utter confusion, Nonon squawked a cry of disagreement. "No, you don't have to apologize to me for…for anything? Why would you even think-"

"Nonon, please…I might possibly be wrong about this, and I beg of your forgiveness if I should be incorrect. But please tell me: your desire has always been to be… _more_ than just a friend to me, am I correct?"

Her heart stopped, then painfully lurched forward. A hot flash of blood surged through her compact body as she struggled to maintain both her poise _and_ her consciousness. "I…I…don't know what to say to that, Satsuki. I mean, _maybe_ it's a true statement, but…even if it was, it's not like I'd change anything that ever happened between us! Our friendship means the world to me, and I couldn't bear the thought of…of…hurting you or insulting you o-or…"

"Nonon. As perceptive as I may be, there are some things that I'd miss even if they were right in front of my face the entire time. Such is the way of one who has spent her life focusing intently upon certain things, while blatantly missing others. I just need you to know that I don't think I could have made it this far without your companionship. There were times when I simply felt as though the world would crush me under its terrible weight…but your friendship gave me the strength to carry on, to fulfill my destiny."

Satsujki reached out and placed one hand upon Nonon's shoulder, gently seeking audience as she poured out her thoughts. "My decision to carry on romantically with Ryuko…it couldn't have been easy for you. And yet…I'm sorry I did not see it before. I truly am. I hope that I have not irreparably harmed you in seeking your assistance with this, my gambit to seek true love…yet for it to not lead to…you?"

Nonon shrugged weakly, sighing as she gathered the breath for a reply. "Aw, come on. Deep down, I kind of knew it would be like this. Yeah, so maybe I've held you to this ideal of a perfect companion a bit too much over the years. I'll have you know that I couldn't have made it this far either without you being this benchmark of supreme awesomeness to look up to, you know? In a way, I have maybe modeled myself to follow your lead because there's only _so_ far being an absolute  bitch will get you in life, right?"

Kiryuin Satsuki laughed out loud at this notion, and proudly stated "Being a bitch isn't the _only_ way to get things accomplished, but it certainly is an  effective one! In this, I believe we might be in perfect agreement, yes?"

" _Hell_ , yes! Fuck 'em if they can't handle a girl who knows what she wants!"

"Yes. Fuck them, as it were. They won't stop you, dear friend! You will roll across this great globe and utterly dominate their music charts, I believe this to be true! I don't see any way they can possibly stop you, being the perfect bitch-"

"…with perfect pitch! You _know_ it! Ha!" Her hand held triumphantly high, Nonon gleefully met Satsuki's own as they clapped together palms in solidarity. They firmly gripped one another's hand, and their eyes met for one brief, shining moment. Finally, the gravitational force of a hug could not be resisted any longer. They crashed together, and Satsuki was momentarily winded by the sheer strength of Nonon's lithe arms, now wrapped around her midsection. _'Little snake…perhaps not a viper…but an_ _anaconda_ _?'_ Satsuki thought to herself as she marveled at the potency of the young musician's embrace.

"Thank you _so much_ for being my friend. I will never be able to thank you enough for keeping me sane throughout my life's mission!" Satsuki murmured into Nonon's wild mess of pink hair. Nonon giggled, then squeezed a bit harder as she mumbled "It's all good. Plus, your life's mission isn't over just yet! You actually get to _live_ your own life now, and I'll kick your ass if you don't!"

Nonon reached over just then, and picked up the bouquet that Satsuki brought. "So, I'm curious about these flowers. Did you…?"

"They didn't have bluebells, you know. Out of stock. Also, there _are_ anemones in there. They might be squished down into the paper."

"I knew it! Fine, in that case…remind me to send Ryuko some freesias someday, okay? She's lucky she didn't blow it with her whole 'jumping the gun' thing on that song intro!"

"She wouldn't get the reference."

"Yeah, you're right. I guess I'll just have to kick her ass instead."

"You are welcome to try."

"All right, I have to get ready for dinner. I'll see you there, okay?"

"Of course. Safe travels, Nonon! I shall see you there soon, provided I survive Ryuko's reckless driving, anyways."

"Yeah. And…thanks. For _everything_. I mean it, Satsuki."

"Ah. You too, Nonon. You too."

* * *

Ryuko mumbled quietly to Satsuki as their car slowly made its way out of the parking lot. "So. Yer just kidding about the whole 'no lube' thing, right?"

Satsuki smiled to herself. "Oh, I don't know. There just might be some pain in your back side in the near future, dear…who knows?"


	8. - The Art of War -

-The Art of War-

 _'Death be not proud'_ \- poet John Donne

* * *

"Caviar is gross. That's all I know."

"It's an acquired taste, I will admit."

"No, it's an overly salty, disgusting taste! I've spit out salty stuff in the past that tasted better than _that_ crap!"

"Such as?"

"What-um…n-never _mind_? I just mean that I don't _get_ all that fancy stuff. Caviar is like the sign you're way too rich and don't know what decent food even _is,_ anymore! Gimme a good, rare Kobe beef burger any day over  that junk! Blech!"

Satsuki shrugged. There was no point in arguing over such things…Ryuko was simply not going to ever understand the more delicate points of a refined, cultured life. Ryuko's fingers drummed on the steering wheel as she quietly sang to herself " _Don't lose your waaaaayyyyyy_! Man, that song is awesome! Oi…hey, Sats! You know what I need to do? I need to hit up Inumuta and get his-"

A pointed glare met her in that thought's path, and it took but a moment for her to wisely change its direction. "…ah…his, y'know…opinion! Ah, of Nonon's show. I think he liked it. Do you think he liked it? I think he did. Yep. I'll bet he did…* _cough_ *…yessir, he had a good time."

Still humming the infectious melody to herself, Ryuko then reached over to the car's dashboard and pulled up the onboard GPS. She pressed the ' _Go Home_ ' button, and an illuminated dotted line appeared on the area map, indicating the best route to take from their current location. Satsuki's eyebrow raised a bit at this, as she certainly knew exactly where she was, and was fairly sure Ryuko knew the local roads well enough, too.

Satsuki posed a gentle query to the car's humming driver. "Ah, I hate to ask, but why are you relying on that? Do you really need it to navigate back to the mansion? Because I was thinking that you should know this area well enough from your frequent bike journeys, yes?"

Ryuko's upper teeth bit into her lower lip, impishness swelling in waves under her attempted straight face. "Why I'm glad you asked me that question, Satsuki. You see, I'm using the GPS on our drive home this evening…so you _don't lose your wayyyyyyy_!" she sang out loudly, eliciting a massive eye roll and subsequent face palm from her aghast passenger. "Oh, for the love of… _really_ , Matoi?"

The impromptu serenade continued, and the captive Kiryuin couldn't do a single thing about it. " _We have to beEEEEEee as one! Don't be afraAAAAaid my sweetheaAAart! This is the wayyyy to get us hooOOOOome_!" Ryuko then broke down into a mess of chortling and snorting as the lyrical punstorm took over her mind.

Sastuki sighed through her palm, which was still gratuitously plastered to her face. Head shaking slowly back and forth, she mumbled to herself as Ryuko continued to giggle, hunched like a mad woman over the steering wheel. "What did I ever do to deserve this? I've tried to be a thoughtful leader, a valiant purveyor of justice, and this is the thanks that I get? Life is, indeed, most cruel…"

"Aw, come on. Don't get all pissy because _your_ theme song doesn't have any lyrics? Because it's nice too! Maybe not quite as cool as  mine, sure…but that's because you're not quite as cool as me!"

"Keep digging that pit, Ryuko…you just might end up living in it."

"Aw. You are just plain jealous, that's all."

"... _hmph_."

Ryuko knew what that particular, abrupt ' _hmph_ ' meant. She was getting to be quite attuned to Satsuki's micro-expressions as of late. It meant that something quite serious was bothering the Kiryuin woman, deep down beyond even the current subject's reach.

"Hey Sats? You aren't, like, _really_ jealous, are ya?"

"What, of the music? Don't be absurd. While your song has an obviously infectious pop flair to it, mine will ultimately pass the test of time as a classic ode to perseverance and triumphant resolve! So no, I'm not jealous of that."

"Eh...okay? But _is_ something bugging you, though? You're getting that weird, stuffy expression again."

"I...no, it's nothing."

"... _really_. Do tell?"

"I...I'm sorry. It's difficult to talk about my innermost thoughts. You know this, as well as the why."

"Yeah. Well, talk only if you want to. I ain't gonna pry."

"I don't believe I've ever actually heard you say that before. That's the extent of your effort?"

"Yep. You don't wanna talk, it ain't the right time."

"O-oh. I...I see. Well, then. I-it's just that you've never been so willing to just...give up like that? You always badger me about it."

"I ain't givin' up. Just giving you _space_ , that's all. No worries."

Satsuki sat there for a while, arms crossed while watching the far-off city lights twinkle past as they left the highway for the quiet, meandering road that led home. A tired sigh eventually pierced the silence, now that Ryuko had stopped her silly humming.

"I'm not jealous of your song. I may, however, be a bit…envious...of you and your attitude."

"My attitude? What? Why? What the heck did I do now?"

"Well, I've been thinking a lot about the past."

"You sure that's a good idea, given our messed-up lives?"

"I have no choice, Ryuko-san. I acknowledge that I need to open up to you, and perhaps be more honest about events as they happened. Hindsight is, of course, 20/20, as the saying goes. I can't help but wonder how things might have turned out differently if I'd actually _been_ this superlative tactician I've been made out to be all this time? I chastise you sometimes for rushing in without thinking, such as when you stormed Honnōji alone against Ragyo and Nui in your rage-driven madness. But I'm no better, really. Not only did I terribly screw up my decade-long assassination attempt by greatly underestimating the true extent of her powers...I allowed myself to be captured as a prisoner of war! If my Devas were but a hair less disciplined, they might have rushed in to rescue me immediately and fallen into her clutches! They would have died horrid, tortuous deaths, either by Nui's bloody hands or as a final sacrifice to Shinra-Kōketsu."

"Hmm. A bit morbid, as always, nee-san. You can't keep beating yourself up like this! You need to focus on the future, like you _said_ you'd do!"

"It is hard. I wish not to repeat my mistakes...and perhaps I am jealous of the carefree, cheerful way _you_ handle things, even after the awful life you had leading up to Honnōji! We have _both_ seen our share of abuse, neglect and terrible violence...yet here you are, smiling and chipper and silly and...I wish I could do that, too."

"Me? I'm grateful for what I _do_ have, not weeping for what I don't. I had a...well, you know. A bad childhood, right? I'm used to having nothing. No mother, no dad around to care for me, no friends...no respect, never got a break from anyone. Made me a stone-killer asshole, to be honest. But, since I first set foot in Honnōji, I've met my first actual friend, discovered a piece of my soul that I didn't even think existed...and finally found a family member that actually _cares_ about me! Not to mention one that puts up with _my_ obnoxious ass!"

Ryuko's smile faltered a bit at this, and Satsuki saw a glimmer of sadness under the laughing face. "But the truth is, I'm only this way because of you. I don't always smile…in fact, it's only been recently I've been able to make a habit of it at all. It makes _me_ happy to see  you happy, so I clown it up to maybe cheer you up a little, sort of help you be less distracted by what was and what could have been. I don't think it's fair, what you've been through. Or me, come to think of it. And to be honest, I guess I'm tired of being the same old rude and grumpy chick I've always been? I'm trying to be better than that, and maybe follow your example? I need to act better around you...around everyone, really. It's like a…I dunno, a thing that your presence demands, I suppose. So I always try to find a reason to smile, in the hopes that it will make you do the same!"

Satsuki didn't really have an answer for this. She had never suspected that there might be a cause and effect dynamic between them in this particular manner. Instead, she offered a small nod, followed by a quick squeeze of Ryuko's knee. The smile came back full force, and Satsuki found herself allowing it to brighten her own dour mood.

"You're silly. I'm not one to follow. You'd be just a bitter, surly shell, I think, if you do that too often." Ryuko snorted, and muttered "Oh, please. _I_ know that  you know that you are way better than that. You have your shit together in ways that most people could only dream of, myself included. Hey, ya know what…maybe…?"

Ryuko's voice trailed off, and Satsuki waited for a continuation, somewhat interested with the conversation's direction. Finally she piped up, feeling that Ryuko needed a gentle but firm prodding, lest she somehow forget the point to all this. "Ah, you were saying? Matoi, are you all right?"

"Huh? OH! Sorry! I was having a revelation of sorts. So, I just imagined that you and me, we've got this yin-yang dynamic sort of thing going on. We both have the opposite traits the other person needs. Like, you're all organized, responsible and super serious, and I'm all about not stressing the details and having fun times! So we just need to rub off on each other and we'll both be better for it!"

"Is that another sex joke? I feel as though you are building up to one."

"Ha, no…but there's a good example! You woulda _never_ thought of that before you met me, right?"

"Ah…I…probably not. I just assumed that you would have twisted that comment into-"

"Yeah, right! See? That wasn't where I was even going. _You_ came up with it…but it was your inner 'Matoi' that really made that happen! Like I have an inner 'Satsuki' that tells me to sit up straight when I'm eating in public, you know? That sort of thing!"

"I see. Well, as to the yin-yang idea, I have certainly considered that parallel for quite some time. I just never expected any sort of…cross-pollination to actually occur between us."

"Hmm. Flower sex? Nice one there, Sats!"

"I…what? I wasn't going _there_ at all!"

"Come on, it's me. Go ahead and tell me I'd let that opportunity pass on by."

"I suppose not. You and your odd sense of humor."

"You'd have one too, if you just loosened up a little."

"Oh, of course! 'Loosen up'. Just like that. You know, I'd figured that we were both too willful and independent to allow either of us to change the other in that manner."

"Oh, you mean _stubborn_? Yep, we have that going in abundance, absolutely! But we have already influenced each other, right? I mean, come on. I've seen you throw some jokes around on occasion, when no one is around to witness it. You sure do zip it when any of the Devas are within earshot though, like you still owe them the 'fearless leader' front or whatever. I understand. Habits are hard to break, I guess?"

"I presume this is something you have pondered for a while, correct? That I am forever molded into this 'no-fun-allowed Satsuki' persona, as you once called me? Perhaps I don't know how to _be_ any other person, Matoi. Perhaps it is impossible to be recast into another form, given what I am made of..."

"Okay Satsuki, look. I'm sorry if I ever said that, all right? Once I get going, my mouth has a mind of its own, I will admit. You just need to care less about what others think of you…you seem to have this weird fear of being seen as less than one hundred percent perfect, and I think it keeps you from taking little risks in your everyday personal life. Like making a joke, fer example? You are pretty much the smartest person I have ever known. I doubt you would have a hard time making witty observations if you allowed yourself to just…ya know...take a chance and maybe be as imperfect as the rest of us? This is why everyone's always on eggshells around you. I mean, it _is_ true that they respect you tremendously, but man…you sure can suck all the oxygen out of a room! Everyone is always so afraid to laugh around you, _still_ …after everything we've been through together? Time to lighten up and have a little bit of fun, that's what Doctor Matoi is prescribing for ya today! "

"Oh, _Doctor_ Matoi, is it? When did you get promoted from Nurse Ryuko, hmm? Did you enroll in some magical yobikō when I wasn't looking?"

"Oh yeahhhh, sort of? I took a personality test online, and it sent me an official certificate for becoming ' _Doctor Love, Phd._ '! That's from an accredited joint, I'll have you know…and all I had to do was just fill out my credit card number to pay for the plaque's shipping! Neat, huh?"

"M-Matoi? Ah, _please_ tell me you  didn't use the…company card for this venture?"

"Aw hell, no sweat. I had to use a _few_ of them to get it to accept the deal, but it's all set now! It kept on saying 'invalid card information' or whatever, but I finally got one to go through. So it's cool."

' _By all that is holy,_ _Inumuta will vaporize her on the_ _spot_ _for this breach of security, regardless of insurance!_ ' Satsuki grimly thought to herself. She tried to calm herself and organize her scattered thoughts in preparation for a most delicate verbal crucifixion. But when she finally turned to face her idiot sibling and unleash tonight's harsh lesson in online security, she was greeted by an unexpected barrage of laughter instead.

"Oh my God, your faaaace! You actually believe I'm _that_ dumb? Come on, Lady Kiryuin, give me  some credit here! I ain't frickin' Sanageyama, for cryin' out loud! Ugh, if I was gonna do _that_ , I'd at least charge it to Inumuta's account…now that would be hilarious, to see him lose his shit over something like this! I'll bet he'd wanna nuke me from orbit if I pulled _that_ kind of crap, right?" Ryuko descended into a giggling fit once again as Satsuki slowly released a tense, over-pressurized lungful of air. Her first instinct was to scold the girl anyways, as corporate security was no laughing matter to her. But, as Ryuko continued to emit infectious little snorts and chuckles, a strange thing happened.

Her solar plexus buckled a bit, and she was momentarily concerned that an abdominal cramp was somehow manifesting itself in a most inopportune manner. A small hitch, then a jerk wandered into her now-quickening breathing. Her frown slowly morphed into a slight grin, and a tiny voice inside her, barely perceptible, was heard just then to offer up a morsel of sage advice: it whispered to her ' _It's okay, just…let go_.'

Laughter, warm and sonorous, clawed its way free of its decade-old shackles and erupted from Lady Kiryuin Satsuki's throat. This was not the usual controlled, indifferent chuckle she normally used to acknowledge some mildly silly occurrence: this was a beautiful release of pressurized magma, uncontrollable and almost frightening in intensity.

Matoi Ryuko, suddenly believing she was soon to be known as the first and only witness to ' _The Day Satsuki's Mind Went All Krakatoa and Disappeared'_ , hurried to pull the car over onto the road's shoulder. The volume of the hilarious spectacle was magnified inside the car's interior, and Ryuko winced at the sheer power of her mirth-inflicted sibling's booming voice. She watched in awe as Satsuki cackled and whooped, hot tears cascading down onto the arms that were now wrapped around heaving, aching sides.

Ryuko smirked, mouth covered with a palm as she watched the elder Kiryuin shudder and quake. This blessed release went on for a few minutes, and by the time it petered out, Satsuki felt as though she had just performed one thousand stomach crunches (for the second time that day, as this was part of her normal morning routine).

She gasped and panted as loose strands of hair were brushed away from moisture-slicked cheeks. "Where did that come from? I…I don't even _-cough-_ know what just…happened? It just…came out. I'm not sure what this even means, if I-I'm losing my _mind_ , or…I haven't laughed like that since…since-"

"What, since you fooled me with that damned foreign newspaper, ya mean? Oi, I'm not too worried about it. In fact, I think I'm less worried _now_ about any sanity being lost than I was before. Besides, if you're gonna be losin' that beautiful mind of yours, _I'll_ be the one to cause its downfall, thank you very much!"

"- _hah_ \- S-sorry about that, Ryuko. I sound quite loud in this cramped space, I know. I practiced for a long time to properly project my authority verbally, and I suppose my voice could be considered a weapon in its own right. But still…that was-"

"Fucking _awesome_ , that's what that was! Looky here, we are on the road to recovery, the both of us! Now all I gotta do is figure out a way to be more serious and gloomy, and we can officially complete the yin-yang of our existence! Fuck yeah!"

"- _tsk_ \- So vulgar! Besides, _you_ be more responsible? I'd like to see you try!"

"I am being more responsible. I have a plan!"

"Huuoo? What does this 'plan' entail, I might ask?"

"Er-I'm maybe looking at some colleges. You know, for a degree in…somethin'. I dunno, not sure just yet. But I _am_ looking, I swear!"

"I believe you. For now, that is enough."

"Yeah! Damn right. I'll figure out something, Satsuki. I promise."

"Very well, Ryuko. And…thank you. For everything, I mean. I know I'm not…easy to deal with, so please know that you have my sincerest thanks for bearing with me in my time of…awkward transition."

"Aw…me, too. I'm pretty irritating, at times."

" _-gasp-_ You don't say?"

"Hey, don't push it. I can be worse, ya know."

"I believe you, once again."

The rush of road noise was barely perceptible in the cabin of their luxury sedan, but it was the only sound between them for an indeterminate amount of time. Each woman was lost in a rush of memories, some foul and some fair. The unexpected loudness of the voice that eventually broke this quiet lull startled them both out of their respective flashbacks.

"So. About tonight…something happened. I felt something. Something unusual."

"Yeah? Like what? A good thing, I hope?"

"I believe so. I felt this content warmth, this…indescribable tranquility. It's hard to describe, but I hope to feel it again, someday."

"Yeah? That _is_ good. I know that feeling, I get it when I'm around Mako's family. Being around your bestest friends will do that, ya know!"

" _Our_ friends, you mean."

"Er-I…yeah, I guess so. I suppose it feels right to say that. I guess Ira is cool with me, he calls me 'Lady Ryuko' this and 'Lady Matoi' that, and I can't get him to stop it, either."

"Nor will you, I suspect. He is steadfast and dedicated in his honor, once you have earned it. The others are your friends, as well. Surely by now you can admit this, Ryuko?"

"Well…I'm not sure Jakuzure is quite there…"

"Did she not gift you the very guitar that currently resides in this car's trunk? Inside the guitar case that hasn't had an _actual_ guitar in it for years?"

"Uh…yeah, she did. It was a reward for keeping up with my lessons."

"Do you believe she does this sort of thing for all of her music students?"

"Um…I dunno. Does she?"

"Ah, I will tell you…she does not. Consider it a fulfillment of purpose. That guitar case now has the chance to serve the ideal of its _original_ intent, as do you."

"Oh. Well then, that's cool. Is that…cool? I hope that's a _good_ thing and not a 'lull you into a false sense of security before putting a knife between your ribs' kind of thing?"

"No, it is a good thing. It is a sign that she accepts you, to be worthy of such a gift. I assure you, she does not spend frivolously. Also, I did talk to Nonon after the concert. About us, I mean."

"Um…oookaaaayyyy…? We - _ah-_ covered that whole 'knife' thing already, right?"

" _*sigh*_ Relax. All is well. We have confronted our mutual history, and it is settled. You need not fear reprisals from her."

"Yeah? Okay, that's a relief, actually. Hmm…maybe this'll give Sanageyama a shot at her, then."

"Oh? Is this a thing, now?"

"Aw, he probably won't admit it yet, but yeah. He needs to come around to the idea, I think. I've caught him talking about her in a 'non-irritating' manner on more than one occasion. Maybe I'll nudge him in that direction, next time we spar."

"He will have to wait until she is back in the country, I believe."

"Oh, I think he will."

"Hmm. Patience would certainly be a new trick for him."

"Yeah, well 'old dogs, new tricks' or something like that. Plus, patience is a new trick for a lot of people."

"Oh? Are you finally subscribing to this 'patience' idea?"

" _*pfft*_ Oh, what _ever_. I'll give you, like, ten entire minutes to get ready when we get home, Sats. Then…you're  mine."

"Ten minutes? What, to hide?"

"Can't hide from me, you'll just -"

"-orgasm tired, yes, I know."

"Cool. Long as you know the drill."

"Indeed I do."

" _*snort*_ Good. That's 'cause 'The Drill' is the name of a certain toy I brought home…"

"Well, I-wait, _what was that_?"

"Oh, look. We're home!"

" _*sigh*_ Yes, so we are…"

* * *

They pulled up to the lane leading to the massive metal gates, beyond which was the Kiryuin Estate. Tires popping and crunching across the vast expanse of gravel, their car slowly crept up to the main gate, waiting for the car's transponder to be recognized by the security system. A green light flashed in the booth, and the black iron gates swung open ponderously to allow them further progress up the driveway.

Rolling swiftly past the sculpted topiary columns and marble pillars of the mansion's front façade, Ryuko guided the car to a lurching halt in front of the garage doors, not even bothering to park inside. She hopped out of the sedan, impatiently urging Satsuki to hurry inside as she did. "Come _on_ , Kiryuin! Get the lead out! You owe me, and I'm all worked up tonight! Don't _make_ me be naughty and give you a reason to chase me!"

"Hm, like I ever need to give you a reason. You, I suspect, are forever destined to be recalcitrant to your very bones, impetuous child."

"Yeah? Well, you love me anyways. So there!"

"That I do, wayward one. That I do." Satsuki took a moment to stretch, her sore back popping and crunching much like the driveway's gravel.

Ryuko stood before the side door, located somewhere between the garage and the main entrance. She paused next to the door frame, making a dramatic show of bending over and smacking her butt repeatedly as she did. The smacks became harder as Satsuki slowly approached, her frame jiggling from the blows.

"It's not _my_ fault I'm so bad. I just don't have anyone to show me how to be good? You certainly aren't up to it, that's for sure!"

Satsuki, her eyes alight with disciplinary fire, drew up to her full height at the mock challenge. "You seek to tempt the full force of my ministrations? Matoi, you are _most_ foolish, indeed!"

Ryuko bit her lip, pouting and nodding in a ludicrous manner that would have won her precisely zero acting awards. "Aw, talk is _so_ cheap. You better find a way to shut me up…by _force_ , if necessary…if you're even _up_ to the challenge of taming the sheer rebelliousness that is  me!"

"Get. In. The. Bedroom. _NOW_." Satsuki growled, leering grin plastering itself across her lust-overridden face. Ryuko giggled, let out a surprised " _Eeep!_ , then quickly unlocked the door, bolting inside to escape from the determined and now deliciously horny woman that followed.

Satsuki reached out to flip the main light switch just inside the entryway wall, to better illuminate the target of her desires. The switch clicked dutifully, but no helpful surge of photons rushed to greet her eyes. One impatient grunt later, she tried the switch up and down again, to no avail.

 _'Power's out? No, I see the security alarm's light on the far wall. So…power is on. But for there to be no lights on at all? The odds are astronomical that they would_ _all_ _be blown…?'_ She mentally calculated the number of light fixtures in the immediate area, and came up with a preliminary guesstimate of no less than ten lightbulbs. Looking out across the entryway, she could pick out the faintest outline of the hall entrance's frame across the room: light from down the hall barely illuminated the entrance's shape, with a prancing Ryuko-shaped cutout vaguely visible in the middle.

"Hey, Satsuki? Lights sure are nice to have on, ya know. Ya mind?" the voice of her sibling lilted from somewhere to the front of her, to which she hissed "I flipped the switch, you twit! Something is…wrong- _RYUKO!_ _ **GET DOWN!**_ "

Satsuki, having been combat trained since she was old enough to hold a weapon, reacted instantly upon hearing the alien, metallic _-clink-_ in the middle of the room. Her ability to tactically assess a situation did not fail her now…but her pitifully slow human reaction time did. It was only due to her superior instincts, plus the incredible speed and strength of her fiber-enhanced sister, which prevented the flash grenade from permanently damaging either of their hearing.

Her senses took precious seconds to update her as to what exactly just happened. An unbelievably brilliant light had filled the world, along with a deafening *CRACK- ** _BOOM_** * that split their ears. Ryuko's impulsive grab-toss of Satsuki saved them from being completely incapacitated, but there was still the matter of them flying through the air, as they were doing now.

The momentum of said throw brought them careening right across the hall, into the adjacent kitchen. Ryuko instinctively wrapped herself around Satsuki's body in midair to protect her from injury, and it was _her_ back that now ended up breaking their collective backward progress into the kitchen…specifically the solid hickory wood of the kitchen's center island.

The cacophony of pots and pans falling around them stirred them both from the briefest of stunned silences. They both scrambled to their feet, quickly crouching behind the kitchen island as they assessed their situation. Confused eyes met pained ones as they both tried to talk to each other, and lips were seen but not heard as the empty howl of tinnitus overwhelmed their eardrums for the time being.

Ryuko held her side, pain lancing up as her fractured ribs ground together. Satsuki squeezed her shoulder, then motioned down to the various pots and pans that were now scattered at their feet. Gear-shaped eyes widened, then narrowed as she scooped up a meat tenderizing mallet and a cast-iron frying pan. Forearms rippled with densely muscled cords as Ryuko readied her stance for the incoming action, then nodded. Satsuki, herself armed with a marble rolling pin, nodded back grimly as she assumed her favored jōdan-no-kamae stance with the makeshift weapon.

Flashlights appeared suddenly in the darkness of the room across from them, where they had been but six seconds prior. Bobbing and sweeping, they darted around the room quickly, obviously searching for their intended targets. Satsuki's blood ran cold as one flashlight briefly illuminated the mounting point of another, and she recognized the business end of a Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun. Her eyes darted over to Ryuko's, who had immediately met her alarmed glare: she had glimpsed the weapon as well.

Satsuki grimaced woozily, shook her head, and then darted her index finger to one side of the door, motioning for Ryuko to assume a position opposite hers, now taken by herself. Ryuko materialized on the other side of the door, and they shared one more quick glance before the first two assailants barged into the room, intending to execute a quick sweep and clear of the kitchen.

At least, that was their plan. A marble rolling pin crashed down upon the weapon of the man on the right, smashing the action of the gun into fractured pieces as she then reversed the pin back up into his chin, dazing him. She then whirled around and swung the makeshift marble bat right into his face, and all the tactical training in the world couldn't brace one for this kind of unexpected offense: the man crumpled, the blow crushing his faceplate, along with the bridge of his nose. Blood gushed forth from his ruptured features as the figure fell forward, unconscious.

The man on the left fared no better. Angered at the prospect of someone, _anyone_ attacking her in her own home, Ryuko whipped the cast-iron frying pan forward in a ballistic arc that would make any Major League baseball player quite jealous. The pan's trajectory careened off the gun's barrel, bright yellow sparks flowering up as the man's armored chestplate absorbed the energy equivalent of a sixty kilometer-per-hour car crash in one frying pan's convenient serving size. He impulsively reached out to grab the kitchen doorframe, gasping for breath as he swam in the murky waters of shock.

"…come… _my_ house, moth…ucker?" I'll show…who's boss, _asshole_! Welcome to  my fucking kitchen!" was the first coherent thing Satsuki's hearing allowed her to hear, the tinnitus mercifully fading just enough to allow her to assess the immediate surroundings. She then heard a loud *BONG* as Ryuko smashed the mallet down onto his stunned, helmeted head. The mallet could not withstand such severe treatment, and its decapitated aluminum head flew off into the room's darkness. Neither could the man's helmet withstand such treatment either, as it barely allowed the skull within to survive the tremendous impact, albeit with immediate unconsciousness flavored heavily with a most severe concussion garnish. He pitched forward to become sleepy-time floor buddies with his erstwhile teammate, a veritable hardware store of military equipment clattering onto the floor next to him.

Ryuko tossed the mallet handle aside, cracking her neck as she renewed her grip on the frying pan. Satsuki crouched, then leaned into the hallway, daring to peek across and down the hall in a risky gambit to obtain much-needed tactical information. She spied two men advancing steadily down the hall towards their position on the right, and then identified two more men across the hall, coming in through the entryway with guns drawn.

She quickly switched sides, leaning in close to Ryuko as she barked short, concise orders to her partner in home defense. "Two on the right, two across the way, closing in fast. You take them, I'll go right. _Do not kill them_ , regardless of the urge! This does _not_ need to be a bloodbath! Understood?"

The briefest flash of frustration gave way to stolid compliance. Ryuko twirled the pan in her fist as she steadied herself for sprinting. "I'll do my best. But if they start shooting, all bets are off. Understood? On three?" Satsuki nodded sharply. The best defense was a good offense, but survival trumped all notions of mercy, given their currently lopsided odds. She kicked off her heels, then purposely tore her now-lacerated dress up the side to lessen the restriction on her motions. White knuckles protruded around cold marble as she prepared herself for the coming assault.

They matched eyes, and the legendary willpower of the two sisters flared to a brilliant ball of white-hot energy as Satsuki silently nodded off _'one, two, three!'_ and burst forth towards their respective assigned targets.

" _Relatório de status_! Tem o alvo foi localizada?" The terse phrase barked forth from radio communicators, meticulously fitted inside every team member's helmet. Hollow silence was the only reply, which prompted the livid utterance of "Ah _merda_!" to be heard over the circuit, followed by the harsh clacking of a weapon's action being readied.

No one was available right now to answer this urgent call. The few remaining conscious assault team members were occupied at that exact moment, as they were all somewhat mystified by the unusually heavy resistance of what was supposed to just be a couple of young Japanese girls. It was a glaring omission on the part of their intelligence gathering, of course…to not have the slightest inkling that they were unfortunately up against two girls who were arguably the most dangerous teenagers on the planet.

War cry bursting forth with immense volume, Kiryuin Satsuki bolted towards the two men in the hallway. As they hurried to raise their weapons in an attempt to draw a bead on the fast-approaching girl, she proceeded to slide back onto her knees at the last second, sailing through one man's spread legs as she drove her marble weapon full-force into his crotch. She never wished to actually employ a ' _Marble Weapon Crotch Strike of Terrible Ruthlessness_ ' (ひどい無慈悲の大理石の武器股ストライキ) upon another human being, but desperate times called for desperate tactics. The man distantly wondered as he fell to the floor, vomiting from overwhelmingly intense waves of pain, if he should have maybe worn a cup that day to protect his now-crushed testicles.

The other man spun around, in shock from the speed of her swift assault, and also keenly disturbed by his partner's horrible noises of male-nightmare induced agony. His efforts to track his target were all for naught, as a marble rolling pin suddenly met the back of his knees with unbelievable force, spikes of terrific pain shooting through his now-ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments. Sadly, he would never walk properly again, due to the events of this evening…perhaps a wiser individual would have chosen to walk a more honorable path than the one he had decided for himself.

He hit the floor with a sickening _*thud*_ , and the last thing he remembered wondering was why a rolling pin of all things was mysteriously hovering over his face? After that, darkness took him on a trip straight to Blackout City (located in the Broken Orbital Bones Prefecture, nestled at the base of Mount Traumatic Concussion)…he was scheduled to stay there for quite some time.

Satsuki's remorse level was perilously low on this particular evening. ' _Karma has its own way of meting out justice to the evil in this world, I am just the channeler…_ ', she thought to herself as she quickly disarmed the two twitching figures, choked cries of agony falling pitifully short of her inner sanctum's cold iron heart as she methodically stripped them of their guns and tossed them into a nearby closet.

She briefly examined their clothing for any distinguishing marks or clues to their identity. A round patch stood out on one man, and she narrowed her eyes as she tried to divine its origins. A sinister white and yellow skull atop a stylized pair of pistols and a dagger stared at her, and she mumbled to herself the phrase that was embroidered around the edge of the patch. "Batalhão de…Operações…Policiais Especiais? What the _hell_ is going on here…this language is…ah, is it…Spanish? No…Portuguese, I believe. This makes no sense? Who _are_ these people, paramilitary _soldiers_? Why on Earth are they-"

A crashing noise, followed by a loud cry snapped her out of her investigative mode, and she breathed in sharply as she immediately cast her attention to the entryway. " _Ryuko_!" she shouted out as she sprinted to her sister's aid, stinging worry now flooding her heart.

Matoi Ryuko, charging into the entryway with all the caution and tact of an enraged bull, fixated her attention on the nearest figure in the room. Bellowing with a sound that was half growl, half scream, she launched a ballistic backhand towards the surprised man's weapon. Cast-iron frying pan once again clashed with German submachine gun as the force of the swing utterly obliterated the mechanical workings of the MP5. Pieces of metal and plastic exploded from the sheer force of the impact, spraying them both with the shrapnel of former gun bits.

Some skinny little girl had just shattered his gun, and now he struggled to draw his sidearm, his arm twisted up haphazardly amongst the remnants of the weapon's sling and various metal and plastic bits that were now awkwardly wrapped around him. This minor distraction ended up becoming a major setback, as Ryuko now brought the pan back across this nervously flailing arm, breaking it in two places. He screamed in pain, panic setting in as his mind tried in vain to comprehend how this was happening, this little girl was hitting him with the force of a heavyweight boxer, no, a wrecking ball, no, a fucking _freight train?!_ The kinetic force of her blow propelled his body across the room, planting him firmly into the mansion's wall and knocking him mercifully unconscious.

Eyes wide, his partner froze in mind-numbing shock. Witnessing the events, yet still not believing them, he raised his weapon to bring this terrible girl-demon down once and for all. He was quite fast, being a trained professional…but he was simply out of his league as the fiber-enhanced being known as Matoi Ryuko swiped at him using her weaponized kitchen cookware with breathtaking speed.

Grinning like a certain demented Honnōji Academy tennis player, she swung the pan with a two-handed backhand stroke that would certainly have crushed both his weapon and forearms, had he allowed them to remain poised out in front of him. Instead, he quickly pointed the weapon up, not wanting to repeat his partner's mistakes. The blow instead just managed to amputate the MP5's magazine, spraying the room with loose bullets, fragments of metal and a coiled spring. He froze just then, eyes bulging out comically as the perceived force behind the incredibly powerful swing materialized in his stunned mind.

He was suddenly reminded of his youth, of the night when he was young, dumb and full of way to many caipirinha cocktails as he accidentally stumbled into the busy Rio de Janeiro street. A speeding van had come within a millisecond or two of splattering his clumsy drunken ass, and he recalled the sudden, frightening feeling of an immensely huge and bulky object, the terrifying mass nearly obliterating him in that ominous moment. He felt that same feeling right now as he glanced at his incapacitated gun, wrists aching from the powerful twisting torque as Ryuko's pan made contact.

Falling backwards, he blindly grabbed for his pistol, all the while screaming the hilariously high-pitched shriek of a little girl. Ryuko, flush with adrenaline, emitted a harsh, barking laugh as she witnessed the soldier's trembling antics. She swung at him again, but the pan had exceeded its combat limits. The pan broke off at the handle, the main part careening off the wall and clanging onto the floor as she was left with a cast-iron stump in her adamantine grip.

The soldier, who had used this moment to clumsily skitter most of the way across the room, now drew his pistol and pointed it at her. Muzzle wobbling uncontrollably, he flicked off the safety with a harsh click as he then started to squeeze the trigger.

Ryuko, at a sudden disadvantage from across the room, reflexively squeezed the metal handle in her palm. Deciding that it wasn't nearly large enough to mount an effective counter-strike, her eyes quickly darted around the room for a better weapon. Her gaze fell upon the only viable object in the immediate area: a decorative crystal bowl, resting upon a corner table located just a meter from her position. ' _Fuck it, no other choice!_ ' she thought as she rapidly put her fiber-powered limbs to the test, flying out sideways as she reached out in one smooth motion and batted the heavy bowl in his general direction.

The soldier's brain had reflexively sent out the nerve impulses necessary to start emptying the pistol's entire magazine into this godless demon-spawn girl…but the crystal bowl's velocity ended up being even faster than that. The ballistic bowl streaked across the room with tremendous force, impacting his left shoulder with the power of a cannonball. It disintegrated into a starburst of glittering crystal shrapnel as the man's left clavicle and scapula disintegrated into an agonyburst of bleeding bone shrapnel. The kinetic impact sent the man back and over, a ragdoll composed of immense, unrelenting agony as he flip-flopped end over end, collapsed and then was still.

Satsuki bolted into the room as Ryuko stood there, panting and sweating as her heart jackhammered away inside her heaving chest. Satsuki swiftly joined her sibling, pain in her bare feet flaring as she carelessly tred upon the sharp, jagged bits of metal and crystal that now decorated the tile floor. This pain couldn't hold a candle to the searing panic that welled in her heart, ever fearful of discovering a Matoi Ryuko that was full of bullet holes or worse.

" _Ryuko-chan_! Oh, praise the gods…you're okay! I was so very afraid that…that…" Satsuki murmured awkwardly as she latched upon Ryuko's shoulder, unintentionally crushing said shoulder in an act of anaconda concern. Ryuko gasped and raised her arms up reflexively, adrenaline still causing her muscles to twitch and jerk as she nervously chuckled and patted Satsuki's tousled head. "Aw, of _course_ I'm okay! Assholes didn't stand a chance against my combat prowess!"

Satsuki allowed herself one more precious second of much-needed contact with Ryuko, and then drew back, snapping to attention as she issued forth her tactical assessment and subsequent plans. "We need to withdraw and find a safe area so we can assess the situation and form a proper response to this attack! We simply aren't safe here, and I need to find out where the hell Kinagase Tsumugu is currently located, as he was scheduled to be on perimeter duty until midnight! Damn it all to _hell_!"

She quickly tossed aside the rolling pin, drawing out her smartphone as she called up Inumuta's customized security perimeter app to try to divine the mansion's current level of intrusion. Her thumbs darted expertly across the screen, swiping past line after line of sensor and camera listings, before finally coming to rest upon the main Central Security Office's camera. A black video feed told her all she needed to know about this evening's sinister occurrences…this was a meticulously planned attack for certain. But _why_? Who were these perpetrators? These were urgent questions that required immediate answers, but the current location was too hot to guarantee a safe investigation of these mysteries.

Ryuko growled, fists trembling in anger at her sides. "I ain't gonna retreat! Imma fuck these assholes up for invading our home! Lemme go outside and I'll do a full-speed sweep of the area, nee-san…I'll thrash anyone who's stupid enough to still be here!"

Satsuki placed a firm hand on each fist, squeezing gently in an attempt to calm the impetuous youth down. "Ryuko-san. We cannot risk it! These men are well-armed, so we need to fall back and-"

Ryuko scoffed at this. "NO WAY! You don't realize that we have a secret weapon that tips the scales in _our_ favor, Satsuki! They're not gonna kill _me_." Satsuki's eyebrows shot up at the notion. "What makes you so sure of this, Ryuko? _What_ do you know?"

Grinning sardonically, Ryuko's eyes flashed with aggressive intent as she snapped off her own tactical observation. "Look, it's obvious why these fuckers are here. They want to capture me for my fibers! It's some rival corporation to REVOCS, come to kidnap the top-secret walking life fiber factory for their own experiments. Hell, _you_ even once said yourself that this could happen someday, Sats! So, no _way_ are they gonna kill me! I can use this to our advantage!"

Satsuki looked down briefly, considering the validity of these words. Eyes glistening, she looked back up and fixated upon her anxious sibling's face. "In another time, another place…I would have taken you up on your plan. But…you mean too much to me now, I simply cannot condone this course of action. I'm sorry, but I still wish to fall back. Please, Ryuko-san, I beg of you…do as I say!"

Ryuko's face blanched as courageous plans were substituted for what she considered to be somewhat cowardly ones. Still, she had to admit she wasn't the tactical genius in the room, and the tender gaze emanating from Satsuki's worried countenance made her think twice. She stiffened, then sighed as she prepared to surrender situational control to her warrior soulmate.

A sheepish grin spread across her face, and an exaggerated eye roll preceded Ryuko's abject shrug as she reached out to stroke Satsuki's tense shoulders. "All right, all _right_. We'll do it your way, I guess. Even though I'm pretty damned sure they wouldn't dare risk killing little old _me_ …"

The gunshot shattered all hope of a strategic withdrawal. Satsuki felt the shock of the bullet's impact through Ryuko's hands as the young Matoi's head involuntarily jerked back, body stiffening in perfunctory response to the unexpected trauma. An excruciating burning sensation filled her chest with incredible pressure as her teeth clacked together to form a pained grimace. Ryuko cough-choked once, and a rivulet of bright red blood spurted out of each corner of her tightly pulled-back lips.

Geared pupils dilated, she stared dumbly at Satsuki, trying to figure out exactly why she couldn't bear the idea of forming words at that moment…or why her ears were suddenly ringing yet _again_? The worst heartache she ever experienced was crushing her chest right now, and she idly wondered if Satsuki was finally breaking up with her and leaving for good just now…what else could cause _this_ kind of terrible heartache, right?

Ryuko looked down at the floor between her legs. She saw her own blood spattered upon the floor, and that was when she realized something was wrong. It was red. The floor tile was white. There was cleaning do, and it was all her fault, once again. She thought to herself ' _Oh… that's bad. That doesn't belong there…I got blood on the floor again. Aw heck Sats, I am so sorry, I'll clean it up once I…',_ and then she fell limply to her knees, the sudden gravity of weakness pulling her rubbery legs out from under her body.

A single brass shell fell to the ground, tinkling musically as it ricocheted off the tile floor, gradually rolling to rest near Satsuki's feet. Ryuko managed to raise her head up to look at Satsuki, who was still frozen under waves of terror-filled shock. She opened her mouth to try to form some choice words of apology for the mess, but a gout of arterial blood coursed out instead, a hot coppery waterfall coursing out over her chin and soaking her formal white shirt with blotchy crimson Rorschach patterns.

At this, Ryuko's glazed eyes slowly rolled back and she fell sideways to the ground, unconscious. A gurgling, crackling noise issued forth from her still-bleeding mouth, one hand twitching in the warm pool of spreading red liquid as she lay there, dying.

Combat boots clunked loudly in the entryway's main door, and Satsuki jerked her horrified stare up to identify the source of the noise. A man entered the room just then, dressed in the same combat gear as the others. However, instead of a helmet and face mask, he merely wore a red beret, his bearded, scarred face a mask of smoldering anger visible below it. The Heckler & Koch USP pistol in his hand was still smoking from the gunshot, a wisp of gray thread wafting lazily from the barrel. He reached into one of the lamps on the table, methodically screwing in the light bulbs to better illuminate his prey.

Satsuki, trembling from a combination of terror and boiling rage, whispered at the grim assassin through bared fangs. "What…have…you…done _,_ you savage _animal_? How could you just…shoot her? Is that not why you came here, to retrieve her for your corporate employers? **_Answer me_**!"

The soldier regarded Satsuki with a harsh glare. Slowly peering down at Ryuko's body, he uttered a dismissive snort. In stilted, chopped Japanese, he managed to bark out a phrase, in order to make her understand the true gravity of the situation. "I do not know who _this_ person is, _Kiryuin bitch_." He then punctuated this statement by spitting derisively at Ryuko's still form, the glob of spit landing on one pale cheek with a wet slap.

Kiryuin Satsuki's anger went critical in a split-nanosecond, and a chilling scream erupted from the white-hot supernova that now exploded in her head. " _HONORLESS_ _ **BASTARD**_!" She savagely lashed out with her left fist, hoping to push the bastard's nose deep into his brain with one surprise lethal strike. Unfortunately for her, this man had decades of combat experience to inform his actions, and her actions were of no real surprise to him. He struck out defensively with a matte-black combat blade, cobra-quick, and it caught her fist in between her index and middle knuckles, splitting flesh with sickening ease.

The tremendous force of her punch carried the blade through to stop mid-hand, the jagged serrations biting deep between her metacarpal bones. He let go of the knife, allowing it to stay wedged deep within the dark red canal that had just been opened up in her now horrifically wounded hand. He had nothing further to fear from this fragile little slip of a girl, now that she had been wounded in such a grievous manner. He could now take his sweet time with what he needed to accomplish next.

To her credit, even this horribly painful wound was not quite enough to get Satsuki to scream: she had suffered worse at Kiryuin Ragyo's hands during her month in the torture cage at Honnōji. Yet scream she did, a loud braying rasp that brought to mind the spine-chilling scrape of rusted metal against stone. She found herself staggering, then falling to her knees afterwards as a wave of sudden vertigo washed over her shock-overridden frame. This savage scream wasn't due to the blazing agony of a hideously mangled hand…it was indicative of an irretrievably destroyed heart.

"M-my most beautiful…dear sweet love… _no_! P-please…be okay? Ryuko-chan, I l-love you…come on, get _up_ , you have to _get up_!" Satsuki reach out with her good hand, desperately attempting to secure a grip on the blood-slicked wrist to check for any sign of a pulse.

Finding none, she then choked up painfully, unable to craft any possible words to convey how her life just lost the last vestiges of meaning it could have possibly held for her. Her body racked with violent yet silent sobs, she slowly raised her quivering head to look once more at the intruder. He regarded Satsuki with a bemused glance, pistol tapping methodically against his thigh as he took in this delicious picture of exquisite suffering.

He brought out a bulky tablet, of the rugged type that wouldn't look out of place in a desolate warzone. Keeping one eye trained on Satsuki lest she try another trick, he casually scrolled through page after page with his trigger finger, hand still firmly clenched around the handgun. To the casual observer, it would look like he was waving the gun over the tablet, it being in competition for the worst choice of touchscreen stylus ever. Finally, he cleared his throat and addressed her in the same butchered Japanese he used earlier.

"Loved one?" he said tonelessly, pistol motioning towards Ryuko's crumpled form. Eyes of burning hate stared at him with glassy shock. Unblinking, she nodded slowly, trying hard not to burst into torrents of tears like her body so desperately wanted to just then. He nodded back, briefly regarding the still half-open blue eyes of Matoi Ryuko before casting his glare back to Satsuki.

He darted his eyes over some lines of text on the tablet's screen, sighing in frustration before continuing. "Your language…is hard. But I need you to know why. So…this." He waved the tablet around, as if to punctuate the thought, then sneered as he fixed his steely grimace directly at her dire expression.

" _You_ , Kiryuin bitch. I come for you. Plan for a long time. Vengeance needed by _me_ to have this done. Loved one…death is hard. Drive a person to do…this…" and he waved the tablet around again, this time in a grand gesture to indicate all that had happened that evening. As if to accentuate this statement, a long pained groan emanated from the hallway. If the man was concerned about this, however, he did not show it: only a hard grimace of livid intensity met her own confused gaze.

"I…I…do not understand. I know… _none_ of these people... _or_ you?" Trembling, Satsuki felt a wave of nausea spike in her midsection. Something was, in fact, eerily familiar about this…but the nagging feeling did not crystallize into any useful information for her shattered thoughts to ponder. Satsuki was distracted by the terrible notion that she couldn't possibly imagine continuing on, now that the love of her life had been murdered so cruelly before her very eyes.

Reading the confusion upon her face, the man's nostrils vented down sudden jets of irritated breath. Consulting the tablet once again, he swiped over a few more pages until he came to a photo. Slowly, he turned the screen around to reveal this image to his wounded adversary. A distinguished Brazilian businessman, his close-cropped black hair peppered with streaks of gray, stared out from the screen as her vision woozily focused upon it. It was obvious to her that the man in the photo was most likely related to the soldier who was now invading her home: she could see the similar facial characteristics. But…

It hit her with sudden cold finality. The last time she saw that distinguished face. The target, far away and up, framed by a private office window. Herself, located in the rear-facing balcony of a charming villa, neighbor to her target's own estate. The emotionless monster, drawing back the bowstring to her cheek, the sensation of coldest _empty_ in the pit of her stomach as the man's life left his body in the very next space of time. That beautiful, horrendous Zen moment.

Satsuki vomited suddenly, her last meal now decorating the floor between her knees as she choked painfully on ropes of acidic semi-liquid food and terrible overwhelming guilt. The man grunted, pleased that he was finally getting somewhere for all his efforts. He waited until she paused in her humiliated spitting and spluttering, then reached over and grabbed a fistful of her glossy hair. Pulling back savagely, he drew the cold pistol up to her sweat-slicked cheek as he emphatically growled "Ele era _meu_ _pai_ _."_

She didn't need a refresher lesson in Portuguese to know what that phrase meant. She had murdered his father. Her hands fell to her sides limply, offering no resistance to his brutal actions. It finally made sense…she remembered now, the 'O Festival Grande Cultura e Desporto' that Kiryuin Ragyo had arranged in Brazil, and her own triumphant first place victory in the grand archery tournament that accompanied it. Then...the required assassination of the South American clothing magnate later that evening, the cold chill of that night's evil deed haunting her soul for months and even years later.

Tears trickled down Satsuki's tortured face as weak sobs rippled through her pained torso. She understood now, how karma could and should work, for all those evil deeds that stained her ruthless warlord soul. _"Karma has its own way of meting out justice to the evil in this world, I am just the…witness…to its righteous manifestation..."_ Kiryuin Satsuki thought to herself as she felt the gun barrel press deep into her cheek's soft flesh. The harsh _*click*_ of a cocked-back hammer told her all she needed to know about how this was soon going to play out.

"O-olho por olho, dente por dente. Minha...v-vida...é... _perdida_!" Satsuki spoke out quietly as she wept, her shaky command of a mostly forgotten crash course in conversational Portuguese somewhat evening out to deliver this solemn statement with laser-like focus. The man paused, unsure what to make of this unexpected utterance. Her Portuguese was as awful as his Japanese…yet it carried an earnestness that could not be mistaken. His mercy quotient quaked ever so slightly, and he decided to offer her a small token of leniency…or at least, what he felt could be offered at that moment, given the harsh circumstances.

The gun suddenly disappeared upwards, and she knelt there quietly as she tried to decipher the odd movements now transpiring somewhere above her head. His fist did not take leave of the tightly snarled knot in her hair however; it was still holding her head back in a painfully firm death grip. The gun reappeared just as swiftly as it had left, now hovering directly in front of her face.

A tiny silver crucifix swung to and fro from a thin chain, intertwined between his fingers as he gripped the gun's handle with renewed fervor. He started to mumble a quick chant, too fast for her to understand…but she slowly realized what it must have been. He was offering her soul a quick prayer…last rites before the deceased's spirit took its destined final flight.

Satsuki gazed down upon Ryuko's still form, salty tears flowing freely as she offered a litany of apologies to the poor girl. "My dearest Ryuko-chan…I am so very sorry, I have failed you. Please don't be angry with me, I…just…I simply _cannot_ bear to go on if your light has left my life…I love you so much, you are my entire world! But if you are truly gone, then I simply have no reason to fight…I hope to m-meet you again someday, my sweet love…in another life, perhaps?" Her quivering fingers reached out slowly to make one last precious bit of contact with the flesh of her dearest love, her soul's angelic savior cast in human form. She touched the tip of her finger to Ryuko's own fingertips, reveling in the last sensation she would ever hope to experience.

The man finished his last-minute prayer, now setting himself to the grim task of completing this 'eye for an eye' vengeance that he set out to accomplish a long time ago. He slowly pressed the gun to Satsuki's right temple, now perfectly still in sharp contrast to the disjointed quivering that consumed it just a few moments before. His curious eyes fell upon the kneeling young woman's outstretched grasp, now pitifully wrapped around the dead girl's bloody fingers. His eyes slitted down to coal black pinpricks. Somewhere in the depths of his blackened soul he chuckled, soaking in his hated quarry's last desperate bid for love before her very own demise.

 _'There is no pain on Earth comparable to the pain of loss._ _Now_ _you know this to be true, Kiryuin whore.'_ he thought to himself as he started to squeeze the trigger. She reflexively pinched her eyelids shut, wringing out a few crystalline orbs of wetness from her eyes as she did. Time slowed down to a crawl as she waited for the bullet to end her life's now-hollow and utterly pointless existence.

* * *

A faint but distinct noise caught the man's ear. Troubled, he paused briefly to ascertain the exact nature of this alien disturbance. A guttural growl, wet and vaguely metallic, assaulted his hearing in ever-increasing waves of volume. He peered at the condemned soul kneeling next to his boots. The soon-to-be-executed female moved not a single muscle, as she was caught up in the cold moment of death's final embrace.

The sinister growl grew louder, and now Satsuki had noticed it as well. A shiver of revulsion and primal fear ripped down her spine: something was making a ghastly, unearthly racket, and it was unlike any sound she had ever heard before. She pried her sopping eyelids apart, and she beheld the room's blood-spattered tile once again. The notion that it wasn't her blood struck her as odd…was _this_ what the experience of death was like? So…mundane and ordinary?

The man whispered a vulgar epithet as he swept the handgun around the room, slightly panicked as his trained eyes found…nothing. _Something_ was making that blood-curdling racket, but _what_ , dammit?

"Eh? Cão de guarda…?" the man muttered, glancing around the area nervously for the guard dog he presumed to be making the guttural and obviously aggressive noise. He panned down casually as an afterthought to briefly examine the dead girl's corpse, and the nightmarish vision that rose up to greet him would be forever etched into the recesses of his mind.

Matoi Ryuko, her blood-caked face now separating from the gore puddle below it, was ever-so-slowly rising up. Her body, however, was not so much _getting_ up as somehow… floating up? The man blinked, the impossible sight turning his heart into a blast furnace of pure terror. Her blackened, sightless eyes were half lidded, as if she was merely too exhausted from a long night of video games to even make the effort to keep them open. Tendrils of shiny maroon rivulets still connected her body to the tile floor, a veritable lake of half-congealed blood making a low sucking noise as her torso inexorably, ponderously raised up from the dead in slow motion.

Satsuki gasped, unable to believe for herself the alien, physics-defying levitation that was now playing out before her in gory, wet detail. Her sanity quivered tremulously as her subconscious continued to hypothesize that a surreal post-death hallucination was now in progress. Unable to force herself to properly breathe, she nevertheless managed to whisper out a nearly inaudible "… _I_ - _imouto-chan?_ "

Ryuko's black-red eyes, now glowing, bulged out at this and her body stiffened, buffeted by the forces that now propelled her movements. The glistening strings of mucous-like blood that hung from below her body _weren't actually composed of blood_ , it was now plain to see. It was strand upon strand of undulating life fibers, causing her body to rise up in a limp posture of exaggerated, tired stiffness.

The man choked wetly, his eyes wide as he witnessed the eldritch horror now before him. Trembling, he murmured a fevered religious chant as he prepared to empty his gun into the godless heathen creature from _hell_ that rose from the dead to dare haunt him in his time of righteous vengeance. It turned out that the last rites he prematurely administered to Satsuki may as well have been for his own poor soul instead, as nothing on Earth could have possibly saved him from what now followed.

Ryuko's head jerkily snapped towards the man's hostile maneuvering. Gleaming blackish-red pupils narrowed hatefully as scores of dark crimson fiber tendrils burst forth from her chest, her skin, her throat. Forming a multitude of sentient micro-spears, they collectively whistled through the air as atomic-razor-thin monofilaments cut effortlessly through the doomed man's tactical body armor, cloth, skin, flesh, bones, and finally his internal organs. His torso shuddered and quaked as he was run through by the life fibers, a collective autonomic reaction to this dire threat of their hybrid host's life.

The man hung there, a ghastly meat and bone marionette who was now twitching and gasping out his last gurgling breaths. Blood seeped through his military clothing as his life left him in a hurried rush, his frame unable to withstand the infliction of such grievous and massive trauma. Satsuki uttered a choking, horrified cry, and a few stray tendrils darted out to skewer her body as well.

Upon making contact with her heaving flesh, however, they immediately ceased their savage attack. Instead, they softened to form delicate threads of pulsing probes in the blink of an eye. They grazed past her cheekbones, caressing their regal form gently, much as a lover would. Shivering, she released her imprisoned breath to give her fiery lungs some much-needed relief. Her shocked gaze fell upon the young hybrid woman as she struggled to rise to her feet once again.

"R-Ryuko-chan? A-are you…alive? Have you…come back…to me?" Satsuki stuttered out, her stressed mind unable to process this unbelievable turn of events…but still consumed by the desperate need to _know_. She watched, unblinking as Ryuko's sclera slowly turned back to their normal shade of off-white, their luminescent black-maroon hue fading away as if by magic. The fibers withdrew slowly into Ryuko's body, the bloody fabric of her clothes rippling as they worked their way back into their rightful home under her lithe frame's muscular tissue.

Ryuko stood there, gyrating ever-so-slightly for balance as consciousness slowly animated her facial features once again. Unseeing eyes transformed to sighted ones as she blearily focused upon Satsuki's harrowed visage. She blinked, then grinned vacantly as she happily recognized the love of her life once again.

Satsuki gasped sharply, hope blooming into an explosion of terrific heat in her raw throat. She drew her hands up, then winced in terrible pain as her throbbing left hand reminded her of its savage injury. Ryuko opened her mouth to utter a string of hyper-rushed questions, but as the first of her oxygen prepared to build up in her lungs for this, she proceeded to double over in a fit of pained coughing.

Holding her mangled left hand up over her heart, Satsuki winced as she tried to assist Ryuko as best she could. She was reduced to merely being a worried observer as she tried to bend over to comfort the hacking, shaking girl and was met with the thinly veiled threat of graying out from her own grievous injury. A spots and sparks fireworks show flashed brightly along the outer edges of her vision as she clutched her wounded hand, feeling her heartbeat pulse in agonizing rhythm against the blade that was still wedged deep into bone. It wasn't gushing blood nearly as much as she had anticipated, but she surmised that this would quickly change if she removed the knife...so she left it alone for the time being. It would be most irresponsible of her if she died of blood loss while attempting to assist her poor sibling, she decided.

Ryuko coughed over and over, the harsh, wet barking sounds causing Satsuki to wince with sympathy each time. The young Matoi coughed out one more tortuous, wretched spasm, and a bullet flew out of her throat, clinking out onto the tile floor at her feet. She stared blankly at the nine-millimeter slug, then gushed out in slurred, uneven words "Oi, ya shee _thaaat_ , Shatshukiii? Tha's pure bullshit, righ' there. Th' goddam'd bullet ain't even barely fuck'n' deformed! Jus' plain _bullshit_ , ya shee...'cause I'm a _way_ harder target than thaaa-aaaatt..." At this, she keeled over again, passing out before she even hit the floor.

"Ryuko! No! Please, _no_!" Satsuki blurted out tremulously as she rushed over to the unconscious girl. She hit the floor in a panic, knees skidding in the gore-slick mess as she pawed frantically at Ryuko's arms. "Ryuko! Wake up! Please! I can't lift you up by myself! Damn it! I won't lose you, Ryuko! _Not now_! _Not EVER_!" She crawled around on the floor, searching for her lost smartphone in amongst the debris on the floor.

Finally locating her phone near the wall, she struggled to pick it up off the floor with one hand, as it was now aggravatingly slippery from a spray of fresh blood. She was still trying to unlock the phone with her thumb when she heard a faint cry from somewhere within the mansion's vast halls. "Lady Satsuki?! Lady Ryuko?! Sound off! Where are you? Are you on the premises? Answer me!"

Kinagase Tsumugu's urgent calls were answered with a glass-shattering shout of incredible volume. "In _here_ , you **_simpering_** ** _JACKASS_**! The garage **_entryway!_** Get over here, there are **_wounded_**!" The hallway echoed his boots thudding beats, which came to a squealing halt just outside the door of the room. He was out of breath, and a sizeable bruise was in the process of swelling his left eye shut as another dark lump swelled up his split lower lip. He swept his needle gun around the room as he struggled to weather the molten-metal rage of an outraged, panicked Kiryuin Satsuki.

"Where the HELL HAVE YOU **BEEN** this entire time, you _incompetent baboon_?! Ryuko is _dying, God damn you_! We need to get her to medical attention _now_! Help me, you damned fool!" Satsuki's temples pulsed twin veins of dark red anger as she motioned anxiously towards her unconscious sibling's prostrate form with her one good hand.

"Where was _I_? Fighting off an attack from some foreigner _hit squad_ , that's where! I had to take out five armed men I caught infiltrating the East Gate, they were bent on- _Lady Satsuki,_ _what the living hell happened here_? Is that man… _is that man_ _ **dead**_? Where did all this blood come from? What has happened to _Ryuko_? What happened to…your _hand_?" He was taken aback by all the jumbled carnage that now greeted his eyes.

The lamplight painted a grim picture. Ryuko's pale complexion hinted at the severe blood loss she must have suffered from whatever hand-to-hand combat she had just endured. It was plain to see where the blood ended up, as just about every object his eyes identified was saturated with it. He rushed over to examine Ryuko, searching for the wounds in order to determine the best treatment. His needle gun hit the floor with a clatter as he frantically searched the girl's body…and he slowly drew back as he observed evidence that he wasn't going to like the outcome of this triage one bit.

Kinagase locked eyes with the fuming Kiryuin, sudden grimness overtaking his protective instincts for the moment. "What _exactly_ is going on here, Lady Satsuki? I see evidence of many, many tiny bloody perforations all throughout her clothing, but no corresponding evidence of wounds on her skin… _what_ caused this kind of damage? I NEED to KNOW!"

Satsuki's temper flared, and with it the terrible legacy of Kiryuin family subjugation reared its ugly head. "You fucking PIG! That…it's not _important_ right now! What IS important is that she was shot in the back, and is currently _dying_! You need to help me get her to a hospital, dammit! So help me, Kinagase…if she dies due to your lack of assistance, I'll dedicate my entire life to making your misery multiply a thousand-fol-"

The clack of a needle gun pointed right at her face gave her the briefest of pauses. His voice was made of cold, raw iron as he laid out his line of deadly serious questioning, once again. "Answer me _this_ , Kiryuin. Did Matoi Ryuko externally manifest life fibers during offensive combat? _Tell me the_ _truth_ , or will I leave you to your own devices, here and now… _regardless of the personal cost_."

Satsuki hesitated for a split second, then quickly capitulated to his demands. Time was of the essence, and there wasn't much she wouldn't do right now to save Ryuko's precious life. " _Y-yes_ , damn you. They acted in defense of their host. She was shot, she was dying, they defended her…much like Senketsu would have done in the same exact situation! Like he once did when _you_ menaced her within the halls of Honnōji Academy, remember? Now please, I  beg of you… _help her_!"

His jaw was set granite-firm, and even the white-hot atomic bluster of Kiryuin Satsuki herself couldn't faze him at this point. "I see…and you want _me_ to labor to save her life then, knowing full well what she carries within her own self? She could one day infect the _planet_."

Kiryuin Satsuki rapidly spat out her answer, words scalding him as effectively as molten, splattered steel would. "Kinagase, if that were actually true, I would end her myself. But that _cannot_ happen, these are _not_ the same type of fibers you have spent your life eradicating, they are a hybrid fusion of life fibers and human DNA, as much a part of her as she is of them. They _cannot_ live apart from the host, they are borne of her and _her alone_ …but if she _dies_ here, this will all be moot. Please, I beg of you… _do not let another person lose their sister to these circumstances_."

He flinched, and the sad echo of a realization quickly rippled across his beaten features. His shoulders slumped just a bit, and he then proceeded to slowly reach down to tenderly cradle Ryuko in his bulging arms. "We will need to take your sedan, its right outside here next to the garage, I noted. I'll place her in the back. I will also need to fasten a tourniquet around _your_ arm; we need to staunch the flow of bleeding from that wound. Do  not remove that knife, as it will cause massive blood loss if you do. Understood?"

Satsuki nodded, silently praising the man for his fortuitous change of heart as she switched to the best business mode she could muster. "Here are the keys. We will need to get her to a trauma center. The Mankanshoku clinic won't be equipped to handle this kind of injury. I will contact Mikisugi and have him meet us en route. I'll also arrange to have Gamagōri Ira see to the…securing and clean-up of this area. Leave the details of the hospital to me…just focus on getting us there in one piece."

"Agreed." This terse word was all he offered in response as he proceeded to let his actions speak volumes for him. He delicately hoisted Ryuko up into his arms, then kicked the door open with a resounding thud as he guided them outside. Satsuki remotely unlocked the vehicle as Kinagase quickly strode over to it, gently placing Ryuko's unconscious body in the back. He then pointed one stern finger to the passenger seat, motioning for Satsuki to get in.

"Make your call to Gamagōri now, I will contact Mikisugi myself. Time is short, and I do not want _any_ of these dangerous men escaping just punishment for their crimes. I am going to fetch suitable materials for the journey from the downstairs linen closet, please see to it that you are buckled in safely before I return. I will be back in approximately sixty seconds." With this, he sprinted back into the house as he dialed a number on his phone, boots thunking away as he set out to accomplish his mission's urgent goals.

Satsuki contacted Gamagōri, taking full advantage of his enthusiastic, unquestioning subservience to summon him for a most unpleasant task. Anyone else would have required several minutes of detailed briefing to absorb the full scope of the evening's horrific sequence of events, but he caught himself up to speed in record time. She cautioned him urgently in regards to the dangerous men's identities, to which he scoffed.

"Lady Satsuki, I will stop at _nothing_ to secure your home from evil! They will be methodically captured and bound with inescapable restraints by me, Gamagōri Ira, your most faithful shield!" He grunted to himself as he prepared the necessary materials for the grim mission now before him.

"Gamagōri-sama, I cannot possibly convey how much this means to me. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I have to go now, but please keep me appraised as to your progress here."

"No worries, my Lady! Please keep _me_ updated regarding the health status of both yourself and Lady Ryuko as well. I trust there were simply minor injuries?" Satsuki muted the phone quickly, the harsh sob nearly being detected over the phone. She marshaled her indomitable will, focused herself, and then unmuted the line.

"N-nothing to worry yourself about, Ira. Just do what you can here. Thank you, my friend." He grunted, then ended the call. She let out another sob, and a terrible pressure swelled in her chest as she stole a glance back at Ryuko's lolling, blood-soaked head. She simply couldn't get into that with him now. Even she had her limits, and detailing the true extent of their injuries would not have fared well for anyone involved.

Kinagase Tsumugu returned at that moment, his arms full of various cloths, blankets and pillows. He immediately went to work preparing Ryuko for the journey, tossing Satsuki a makeshift tourniquet as he did. "Apply this to yourself as best you can. I will secure it properly once I am done back here."

Satsuki mumbled quietly as she complied with his request. "Kinagase. That was more than sixty seconds, I believe." He laughed, a short exclamation that was utterly devoid of humor. "Correct. On the way back here, I took a few precious moments to shoot the intruders in the house with paralytic needles. One of them was trying to crawl away, pistol still in hand. Gamagōri should have about forty minutes or so to arrive and complete his end of the deal." She nodded thoughtfully to herself: that was a very good idea that had completely slipped her troubled mind.

He finished setting up his emergency preparations, Ryuko's limp form laid across the seats, legs elevated with pillows, her torso swathed with blankets. From outside the car, she could have passed for a young girl who might have perhaps fallen asleep on the way home from a family outing, or possibly a particularly rowdy laundry run. Inside, however, was a different matter.

"She's gone into hypovolemic shock. Pulse is…strangely erratic, respiration is extraordinarily rapid. Lips are cyanotic, excessive perspiration…she must have lost at least two liters of blood by now. For her size and weight, this is very bad, indeed…we need to hurry."

He then yanked open the passenger door and quickly assessed Satsuki's arm. He was pleasantly surprised to see that she did an admirable job of tending to her own medical needs, given the dire circumstances. Tugging at the seat belt around her form and finding it to be acceptably tight, he closed the door then leapt right over the vehicle in an impressively acrobatic arc. Tsumugu was strapped in with the engine revving before Satsuki could even blink.

He reported his current thoughts to the young Kiryuin, trying to keep her mind focused through the effects of traumatic shock. "I'm glad that I was able to change this car's tires and break them in last month. You never know when you might need to push a car to its very limits, and we are about to do so now. Lady Satsuki, I'll need you to select the trauma center's address from the GPS menu list. If you could...?" He snapped his fingers and gestured to the dashboard, and Satsuki squinted, then extended a quivering finger out to make the destination choice.

The gruff young soldier grunted, recognizing the area on the map from his initial Honnōji City reconnaissance jaunts. He mentally prepared himself for the fast-approaching high-speed highway slalom that was about to become necessary as he sped down the gravel driveway. The Mercedes' V12 engine surged with immense power, and he allowed himself a faint grin: they weren't relying on some cheap jalopy...he could rest assured that this beast would get them there in record time.

"Lady Kiryuin. Keep your hand above the level of your heart. I estimate our arrival to be…about seventeen minutes. Things might get hairy, so please hold on. And before you question my driving skills, _yes_ I know what I am doing…so sit back and let me do my job. I'm no _amateur_ at this." The car jolted and bounced as he finally hit the highway ramp and punched the throttle. The massive engine responded instantly as twin turbos spooled up to provide the enormous thrust required for his daring automotive maneuvers.

"I know…" Satsuki mumbled, almost dreamily. She was in no condition to provide criticism. Her furious anger now dissipated, she was instead left with a crushing sense of doom. Her good hand groped in the back seat for Ryuko's hand, but was only able to find purchase on her knee, which she proceeded to squeeze lovingly. Ryuko mumbled something incoherently, her pallid head lolling back and forth as rivulets of sweat poured down her ashen facial features.

Tears welling up once again in the darkened hollows under her troubled cerulean eyes, Satsuki whispered "Y-you're going to be okay, Ryuko. I promise." Overwhelming exhaustion and severe stress did a number on the young Kiryuin warrior, her leaden eyelids drooping in spite of herself. She rolled her head towards Kinagase and laboriously uttered "Thank you for this, Kinagase-sama. I know of your…personal feelings, and I just-"

He broke off her statement abruptly, his concentration being mostly taken up by his death-defying highway escapades, now in precarious progress. "Let us get something straight between us, Kiryuin. We are _not_ friends. I have a job to perform under you, true…but also a _duty_ as well, and I took this job to easier facilitate it. I won't let her die, but I also won't risk the potential for her to be overwhelmed by berserker life-fiber consumption again, either. I _do_ still have that adhesive bullet, you know."

She closed her eyes, concentrating all her energy into sounding like the stern warrior she needed to be, rather than the useless, simpering fool she felt like at that moment. "I am aware of this. I arranged for you to have this job in part to keep an eye on _you_ , as well. Better than wondering if you were to one day put a bullet in either of us from afar…someday, you will see that Matoi Ryuko poses no threat to this planet, and in fact may hold the key to its future defense. If you are truly the sworn enemy of the alien threat posed by life fibers, _you will do all within your power to save her life_."

His eyebrows twitched in a moment of uncharacteristic curiosity. There was a story here, and he aimed to get to the heart of the matter, sooner rather than later. Kinagase Tsumugu knew two things about Lady Kiryuin. One: she was very, very good at bluffing. Two: he would learn nothing from her at all if Ryuko died that night and there actually was truth in Satsuki's words about her being the catalyst for effective planetary life fiber defense.

His cellphone rang, and he touched the receiver in his ear to answer the call. From the conversation, Satsuki quickly deduced that Mikisugi had succeeded in making the necessary arrangements at the hospital and would be waiting on standby when they arrived. The list of individuals she needed to thank was growing at an exponential rate…provided that Ryuko survived this fateful night.

"We _will_ get through this, Ryuko. We always do, d-don't we?" Satsuki mumbled as the Mercedes shot down the highway like a black, gleaming bullet. Silence was the only response, as Ryuko had slipped deep down into unconsciousness at that point. Satsuki swallowed thickly, squeezing her sibling's knee as she closed her eyes and reluctantly let the fickle nature of fate guide the course of the rest of their lives.


	9. - Causality -

-Causality-

-Five years later-

"Okay, now…Matoi! Ready for pickup!"

No one came forth to claim the baked goods order. The man at the counter cast his eyes across the sea of waiting patrons. He looked at the slip, leaned over to the girl running the orders and murmured, holding up the slip as he did. With a minute flash of irritation, she squinted at the paper, then squinted over the throng of customers. It was busy and she didn't have time for this crap, being the only girl who actually bothered to show up for work that day.

She jabbed a painted yellow nail in the direction of a dark haired woman, sitting by herself in the far corner and staring lazily out the window as the throng of commuters rushed by. "Hey…lady! You Matoi?" The woman almost choked on her cappuccino as she realized that she was the target of the bakery inquisition.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. Yes, that is me. Thank you!" She bowed as she took the large bag from the man, who sighed as he handed it over. _'Mornings are just too much for some people, I guess?'_ he thought to himself wryly as he watched the lovely young woman exit his shop. ' _Still, can't hurt business to have pretty clientele like that be seen picking up my goods, eh?'_ The girl taking the orders kicked his shin gently, as he was now staring dreamily at the woman's bottom as she entered her vehicle. He turned to see an elderly woman, who was now piercing his shameful hide with a look of severe disapproval.

"Ah, h-hello, Muranaka-sama! It is an honor to see you again in my shop! It has been too long! Why, your order will be free today, just for visiting our humble bakery!" The next twenty minutes would be spent wheedling, groveling and backpedaling in the hopes that Old Lady Muranaka wouldn't see fit to ask his wife how their marriage was doing, or why he was openly ogling incredibly beautiful young women in his bakery.

Said beautiful young woman was getting into her car, barely overhearing the shop owner splutter to someone of whom he was obviously respectful...if not outright afraid. "Need to stop daydreaming yourself, Matoi Satsuki…you have a hungry family to feed!" she mumbled to herself, hoping that her own daydreams hadn't made her too late to surprise the slumbering loved ones that now awaited her back home.

"Now, if I could only get used to this surname. Oh well, I have all the time in the world now…don't I?"

-Present day-

 _…_ _*beep*…*beep*…*beep*…*beep*…*beep*…*beep*…_

A low, monotonous digital sound, it pricked Satsuki with a tiny, cold heart sting every time she noticed it. It would eventually fade back into the background, as repetitive sounds are wont to do…only to rudely interrupt her thoughts once again, usually when she glimpsed her morose stare being reflected back at her in the shiny steel of hospital equipment.

She glared with intense hatred at the animated green blip, jumping over and over on the small LED screen next to Ryuko's head, endless arcs representing a strong heart that beat once more. Molten rage simmered under the still mask of her patiently-waiting gaze. _'Infernal device. You and your promise of health, of strong vitals…yet she cannot wake from this nightmare! Why, you wretched machine?! Tell me WHY?!'_

A new migraine threatened to roil about and start gnashing at the bars of its cage inside her head. Satsuki closed her eyes and quietly started another round of breathing and meditation exercises, in the hopes that it might stave off that beast for a little while longer. It worked about forty percent of the time, she surmised to herself.

After spending an indeterminate amount of time within her imagined Zen garden, she came back to her current whereabouts, miraculously sans headache. She looked about the room and sighed, its irritating _sameness_ wearing thin on her psyche. Hospitals always had a distinct blandness about them, no matter how thoughtful the interior design might have been. This one was no different.

Satsuki had managed, via the magic of extreme wealth, to have Mikisugi be the primary care specialist on hand for this situation. An unusually sizeable donation to the hospital's budgetary committee earned Lady Kiryuin Satsuki a large donation plaque in the main lobby, and an even larger amount of much-needed discretion.

"…it's the better part of valor, or so I hear." Satsuki mumbled to herself, thankful for the medical facility's blindly-obedient staff. The less people knew regarding Matoi Ryuko's more…unusual characteristics, the better.

"Ha! 'Unusual characteristics'. You know anyone around here with _those_ , sweet girl?" Satsuki laughed out loud to herself, imagining Ryuko's wildly indignant reaction, comprised mainly of tough talk, hissed threats and spluttering. It was better than the reality: Ryuko's motionless head resting inside a crater of fluffy pillows, oxygen mask nestled over her parched, cracked lips.

Satsuki frowned as she observed the poor state of Ryuko's lips and skin in general. "- _tsk!_ \- It's so damned hard to keep you properly hydrated, silly one. Your damned fibers keep fighting the IV needle! Do you know we have to insert a new one several times a day now? Can't you just… _control_ yourself, if only to make things a bit less difficult for everyone else? Hmm? Please, Ryuko-sama?"

No shouted epithet rose to greet her sardonic statements, and the resounding silence caused yet another painful squeeze of her already-aching heart. Fingers pressed to her chest, Satsuki winced as an errant tear streaked down to plop upon her dark red blouse. Looking down, she growled her annoyance at the obviousness of the wet spot now upon her bosom. She made a note to wear much lighter clothing for the time being, as it would be a bit easier to hide such guilty moisture that way.

"I wore this for you, you know. It's not my color, no, not at all. Kiryuin Satsuki doesn't need any more red staining her own damned self, right? I've caused enough red to spill out in my lifetime to make me never want to see the shade ever again. Oh, except for _you_ , of course! You wear it the best, obviously. You make it l-look _good_ , you know that? Red is your color, Ryuko…the color of fire, and stop signs, which you always ignore. Oh, and it is certainly the best sports car color…I know you just love _that_ idea, right? Plus, it's the color of anger, which suits you as well. Sorry, but it's true, Ryuko…don't try to deny it. Ah, but it's also the color of l-love, too...s-so there's _that_ , as well. Red is your shade, beautiful one. You own it."

Reaching into her purse, she withdrew a silver MP3 player. Placing it into a well-worn Bluetooth speaker cradle, she turned it on and pressed play. She left it on random, willing to let fate choose the song once again. ' _AC/DC - Girl's Got Rhythm'_ scrolled by on the amber screen as it started blaring out from the tinny underpowered speakers, and Satsuki groaned to herself. _'Oh, heaven help me, this…_ _this_ _one sounds like a cat being strangled. Really, I have no clue just what she sees in this horrid, obnoxious music! Still, it is hers, and I_ _will_ _play it for her, regardless of the personal cost! But oh, to hear some nice, quiet Debussy right about now…'_

Still, she smiled to herself at the dusty, greasy fingerprints etched upon the music player's surface. She couldn't bring herself to clean it off, even though her inner neat freak was clamoring to do so. It had been hurriedly swiped from the garage's work bench, and it was almost natural to see the grime upon its pocked, dented surface.

Rummaging around in her purse once again, she pulled out the remainder of a half-eaten turkey sandwich from lunch and started to nibble on it. The lettuce was wilted and the honey mustard had congealed, but her hunger had finally won out over the afternoon's recurring bouts of nausea. The nagging pain in her upper midsection reminded her for the hundredth time to ask Mikisugi about how to determine if one might possibly have a stomach ulcer…just out of curiosity. Asking for a _friend_ , of course.

She finished the food, then crumpled the paper wrapper into a ball and proceeded to single-handedly shoot it into the waste receptacle located across the room. Smirking faintly, she pondered over the fact that Matoi Ryuko would have made a comment about her superlative skill, then would immediately be rooting around for some paper of her own to challenge her to a duel, paper balls the chosen weapon for the impromptu match.

A tired chuckle escaped her throat as Satsuki slowly stood to stretch for her impending trip to the bathroom. Aching joints assaulted the room with a fusillade of popping and cracking as she yawned. "Regrettably, the only competition _you_ are winning right now is in the 'Sleep Olympics', my beautiful girl. It's okay to stop that now, all right? You _win_ , absolutely and completely. I hereby declare you, Matoi Ryuko, to be the all-time napping champion! A gold medal will be struck for you, post-haste. I will never be able to catch up to you now, I can't even nap much these days at all…so you can just… _wake up_ to claim your prize! O-okay, imouto-chan...please?"

-Five years later-

"Wake up, Ryuko! Breakfast is ready!"

"Nnnmmm…jus' twenny more minutesszzzz…"

"Oh, come now, my darling sleepyhead. I didn't get up at what even _I_ consider to be an ungodly hour just to have my culinary plans foiled by your utter laziness!"

"Nnnnmmm…'kay…jus' ten more minutezzz…."

"Oh, what a terrible shame. Then I'll just have to toss out these wonderfully warm, fresh lemon cream Danishes. That would be such a waste, these being your most beloved delicacy from your favorite bakery, ' _The Cake is a Pie_ '…?"

"Nnnmmm-whaaat? * _snf_ * Whazzat I smell…? Izzat…* _snff_ * Eh? Lemon cream…Danishes? Am I still dreaming? Those'r always gone by the time I get there? I musta gone mad?"

"Already there, I suspect. But no Ryuko-chan, this is for real. They are yours for the taking, _if_ you can protect them from the most sinister threat to their existence! In fact, I hear her approaching even as we speak! - _gasp_ \- Oh _no_ , she's here!"

"Ka-san! Wake up, wake uuuup, muffins! All warm! You gotta come see, come see!"

"Oh my! I fear all is lost! Ryuko-chan, if you don't rally your strength, I cannot hope for the survival of even one single lemon Danish!"

" _*gasp*_ Lemon thingies? I _love_ them! Can I have one, pleeeease?"

Ryuko finally got up, struggling heroically against the immense gravity of her comfortable bed-nest. Squinting with bleary eyes, she smirked at Satsuki. "Mornin', sweetie. Now…show me those hot buns of yours I've been hearin' so much about!"

Rolling her eyes sheepishly, Satsuki opened the bag for inspection, whereupon Ryuko peered inside, sighed, then muttered playfully under her morning breath "Oh, yeah…sure. _That's_ what I meant…"

She reached into the bag, withdrawing a golden example of that morning's finest baking. As she slowly drew in the delectable pastry's citrusy scent, her stomach chose that moment to gurgle a persistent grunt for sweet sustenance.

Hovering in front of Ryuko's mouth for the briefest of moments, it then was surreptitiously placed into the somewhat patiently waiting hands of Matoi Jun instead. Overjoyed at this surprise turn of events, the towheaded youngster squealed as she accepted the honor of 'first taste'.

"Fank 'oo!" she burbled between lemony bites. "Of course, ojou-san! But doooooon't get any crumbs in the bed, though, okay? I get in _lots_ of trouble when I do that!" Ryuko locked eyes with Satsuki as she whispered " _Thank you for this_."

Satsuki smiled, then nodded sagely. She was willing to overlook the egregious sin of eating in bed, just this once. The reward was well worth it.

-Present day-

Satsuki's lips pursed in quiet sadness as she turned to seek out the closest hospital bathroom: it was time for more medication, and another, more focused individual could have perhaps remembered to have water on hand to easier facilitate this necessity…but not her, not on this evening. The atomic-clock precision of her highly focused mind normally made things such as smartphone calendar reminders for medication unnecessary. In light of recent events, however, it was starting to seem like a good idea.

Shrugging to herself, she distantly realized that her one-sided conversations must sound like utter lunacy to anyone who found themselves within earshot of them. Her purse was casually shrugged over her throbbing shoulder, which took more effort than she would admit to any casual observer. Her right arm had recently been pulling double duty, her left hand being a tender mass of useless wooden deadness. Satsuki grunted and squeezed her aching neck, longing for a strong masseuse and an even stronger mixed drink. It was going to be another long, tortured vigil tonight.

' _The weight of being a Kiryuin, these days. Naught but misery…perhaps this is my cross to bear for what I have inflicted upon others. I'll carry it gladly! But…could not Ryuko have been possibly spared from the fallout of my mistakes?'_ She pushed against the door, cold glass leaving a mausoleum chill in her spine. The quietest of sounds caught Satsuki's keen hearing just then: that of a squeaking hinge.

 _No_.

A voice.

A voice…that was _not her own_? "What? Was I speaking to myself out loud, just now? Am I now so mad that I can't even tell? I swear, I'm-" She froze, one wide-open eye trembling over her cramping shoulder at the hospital bed…a bed that was now animated with scant yet blessed evidence of conscious movement.

"…* _cough_ *…sss...Ssssasski…s'tha'…tha'...you…?"

The young brunette whirled around, her skirt forming an impressive pinwheel around her as she hurried back to the bed post-haste. The most beautiful gemstone she could ever possibly imagine awaited her: a single brilliant blue pupil, gear-shaped and bleary, peeking out sleepily from a tumbleweed mass of snarled bedhead.

Her breath hitched painfully in her throat, order being wrested at the last moment from the grip of excitable panic. Satsuki then focused herself and forced out a carefully measured facsimile of an oh-so-casual greeting. "Ah! H-hello, sweetheart! I'm so very _happy_ to see you are awake now! How…how are you feeling, my dearest Ryuko-chan?"

Eyes jerkily tracking left, then right through dark, slitted eyelids, Ryuko surveyed the unfamiliar room. Phlegm rumbling in her throat, she weakly croaked out "…nmmmbleh…* _cough_ *…wh-who…th' hell _are_ you?"

Satsuki's face fell, the friendly façade crumbling in an instant of panic as amnesia fears ran serrated swords right through her chest. "Ryuko-san? Y-you don't…recognize me? R-really?"

"Uh…n-no, Sats…I… _know_ you…* _cough_ *…but I figure someone musta, like, sucked out yer brain and replaced it with some…annoyingly _nice_ person? You ain't _ever_ this sweet to me! …* _cough_ *…Oi? Th' fuck's this, now?" She grasped the oxygen mask and tore it off with one twitchy jerk, nose curling in confused disgust.

Glittering tears of joy flowed freely over the trembling fingers that were now clamped over Satsuki's mouth. Kiryuin Satsuki did not give a solitary fuck about proper decorum or of even bothering to reflexively reel in her exploding emotions at this point. It took all her willpower to not scream out in elated bliss to the heavens right now, and it was only for the sake of potentially scaring the crap out of poor Matoi Ryuko that she was able to even resist such an outburst at all.

"Ah…you came back to me! My dearest, sweetest angel! Oh, thank the gods! I cannot _possibly_ tell you how this makes me feel, imouto-chan! I…I've missed you so very much!" Her hand trembled as she reached out and caressed Ryuko's forearm, feeling for muscles that writhed once more with blessed, conscious life under pallid, blotchy skin.

"Eh? Angel? Who, me? Pfft! You've got the wrong chick, lady. Imma…* _cough_ *… _ew, yuck_ …goin' straight ta _hell_ and you know it! Tha's where th' good music comes from, ya know…" Ryuko took the time to flash her hand out in a weak but firm 'devil's horns' gesture. She rocked her head back and forth in the pillow ever so slightly, bobbing in time to the Metallica that was now issuing forth from the music player.

Satsuki wiped her own tears away, smiling broadly as she sniffled and coughed in an effort to clear her throat of bundled emotions. "Oh, yes. I seem to recall your views on the situation…you said there was _-ah-_ only a 'Stairway to Heaven', but a 'Highway to Hell', and that said a lot about the human race's expectations about itself. Did I remember that philosophy lesson correctly?"

Ryuko chuckled and shot a thumbs up at her as she nodded, and Satsuki giggled musically at the notion. "Yeah, s'right…ya know, I haven't…* _cough_ *…listened to AC/DC in, like, _forever_. I should totally change that…"A glance turned to a stare as Ryuko sized up the odd, creepily jubilant creature before her. _Was_ this her sister? Is this a plot? And where the hell _was_ she anyways?

"Hey, Satsuki? Where the hell _am_ I anyways? Is this a…hospital? What the fuck happened? I can't remember much past…oh…fff _FUCK_!"

She tore off her wire leads and fingertip-mounted pulse oximeter, scrambling weakly to an upright position as she grasped at Satsuki's arm. "The…mansion? Th-those guys?! Did that all…really happen? Oh, _SHIT!_ " Several machines around her bed blinked to life, sending out a cacophony of alarms, beeps and other alerts of impending phantom patient emergency.

"Please, please, calm _down_! We are safe! It's all over! Please…sit back and relax, and I will inform you of what happened. All right?" Satsuki pleaded to Ryuko, and it was only once another brief complete scan of the surrounding area was complete did she finally lean back and emit a low groan, energy now spent from her sudden movements.

The young REVOCS chief executive officer straightened up, placed one palm down upon her toned thigh, and then steeled herself to recount the painful memories as passively as she could muster. "The assassins have been dealt with appropriately. Some are already being processed for sentencing, others are being deported. The one who attempted to murder you has been…neutralized."

"Neutralized? Ummm…that's a pretty soft description for…wait. _Assassins_? I thought they were just corporate-secret-loving kidnappers? Who'd want to have _me_ killed, Sats? I don't understand?"

Satsuki looked down, smoothing out her blouse for the tenth time in as many minutes. "Matoi, they…they were not there for _you_." The blankness of her stony expression was a crucial tip off for Ryuko, having now been keenly attuned to her sibling's subtle quirks and mannerisms for quite some time. There was an unholy maelstrom boiling under that surface, and the urge to freak out was tempered by the recognition of this sudden fragility. Gears turned, connections were made, and Ryuko was walloped by the meaning inherent in that factual confession. This was a result of Satsuki's sordid past, she was sure of it.

Ryuko regarded her sister's haggard face. Smiling faintly though it was, it looked tired, beaten...old beyond her years. She sighed, then offered her pithiest, most casual observations: designed to obtain factual information while seeking not to disturb the obviously stressed-out Kiryuin. "Well now. You look like I feel, onee-san! I think I'm gonna recommend a nice, long spa treatment, followed by some heavy-duty...wh- _what happened to your hand_?"

Satsuki shrugged weakly, motioning with her left hand's cast-encased bulk. "Oh, this? It's...nothing. I was injured during our unfortunate evening at the mansion. Don't worry about it." She was supposed to still be using a sling for her arm, but her shoulder was hurting enough that it was worth it to trade off areas of focused pain for the day. Plus, she didn't appreciate the looks it evoked when her arm was properly slung: people automatically reacted as though she were a pitifully wounded bird, whispering wellness greetings and hushed sympathy exclamations, opening doors for her unbidden, offering to carry personal items for her... _pathetic_. She was Lady Kiryuin Satsuki, and she could carry her  own damned briefcase.

"Yer so full of shit, Sats. I can see from here that it's serious. Was it...are there broken bones? Tell me what happened. Please?" The look of unabashed worry coming from her dear sibling was killing her: she was supposed to be tending to Ryuko, not the other way around! Still, Satsuki knew where this was going, and she didn't want to start a verbal battle over this...she knew that 'Captain Cocky of Stubborn Force Ultra' wouldn't drop the subject without a fight, and keeping Ryuko calm was paramount in her mind.

"Look, don't get upset. It's just a minor knife wound. I've already had surgery to repair the damage. Well okay, two surgeries. The cast will most likely be off this week or perhaps the next. It looks worse than it is, really."

"Minor? _Two_ surgeries? Really...yep, that sounds _minor_ , fer sure. Can you...are you going to be able to use the hand afterwards? How bad was it, really? You better be honest with me, Kiryuin Satsuki!"

"I don't think you want me to-"

"Kiryuin, seriously? Don't make me _get up and come_ _over_ there, 'cause I will-"

"All right, damn you! Please, stay seated on the bed! I...yes, I was stabbed during combat. The blade essentially sliced my hand in twain. The surgeons initially said that I would lose complete use of the hand, and that it would always hurt. Interestingly enough, I still have movement but the feeling is simply not there: it's gone, a wooden block left in its place. The surgeons and doctors told me that I wouldn't ever get the movement back but I _would_ get the feeling back. They were one hundred percent wrong and I'm _glad_ they were wrong…because I'd rather be able to move the fucking thing. Who needs feelings, right?"

"Oh man, that musta hurt like hell. Oi, it's like that fucking splinter I had, only way worse!"

"Eh? Well, it...actually, yes. It was essentially in the same area. Odd, I hadn't thought of that fact until just now. At least I was able to convince them to perform that accursed carpal tunnel surgery on the wrist at the same time. Two birds with one stone, I suppose. I don't know if I'll ever be able to properly type again, so I have Inumuta looking into customizing some speech software for my own business dictation purposes. I can't let this stand in the way of my productivity, I simply cannot. Well anyways, it _is_ healing now, albeit at a much slower rate than you do, of course."

"Okay, that's good to hear! Um...well, then. So…ah, I guess I was shot, huh? Pretty badass, right?"

" ** _No_**. Not 'badass', Ryuko. Don't you dare say that! It was the w-worst thing…the worst thing _ever_."

"Aw, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you! I take it back, I suck…aw hell. I'm so damned thoughtless sometimes. Hey, uhhh….can I…could I hold your hand? I mean, like, the good one? Wait, oh crap! I mean…um, not that I mean to say that the other one _isn't_ good! Just that it's hurt, right? So obviously I shouldn't be holding  that one, I just wanna-"

"Ryuko-chan. I would be _honored_ to hold your hand. It would do me an immeasurable amount of good right now."

"Ah, yeah! Of course! Right on…put 'er there, then."

Their hands united gently on the bed, and Satsuki could feel several tons of intense pressure ease off her throbbing head as she felt the familiar, rough-but-gentle touch of callouses caress her smooth palm once again. She sniffled a bit, then stubbornly held fast to her calm demeanor even as a faint trace of moisture crowned upon her lower eyelids.

"Ryuko-chan? Could you…squeeze my hand, just a bit? I would appreciate it."

"Uh…sure. Like this?"

"Yes, just like that. Oh...my. It is so very good to feel you squeeze back. I cannot describe how elated I am right now! I-I've been here, waiting for you to come back to me…this has been _-sniff-_ just the h-hardest thing I've ever-"

"Hey, shush! I'm here, it's all good. I am so _very_ sorry for worrying you, Satsuki-sama. I guess this is what I get fer not following your lead, right? I'm a real dummy, not listening to you and stuff as per usual, right? Big Sis knows best, after all!"

"Ha, if only. I've felt so lost without you. I have come to realize just how very important you are to me. Ryuko-chan, I thought you were d-dead. I wanted to die, myself, right then and there…and I very nearly did! I was reduced to being such a…a sniveling _coward_. We are both so very lucky to even _be_ here right now..."

"Yeah, so…about that? What exactly _happened_ , now that you mention it? Did you strike that asshole down with great fury and anger, as only the great warrior Kiryuin Satsuki could? Didja take him down with the very same knife he used to hurt ya with? Huh? Eh? I'll betcha you totally did, right? Fucker didn't know who he was messing with, that total jerk! You musta been _so_ mad, I'll bet he didn't even last a minute tangling with _you_ , right?"

"Ah, well…not exactly. You see…l-look, it's late now and you just woke up. I don't want to upset you, talking about such traumatic subjects! So I think it's time to-"

"Oi! Don't _do_ that! I wanna know what happened! Is that fuckin' guy dead or not? You said that he was 'neutralized', right? I took that to mean that he wasn't arrested or deported or whatever, so I figured that he must have been…wait, he…he didn't escape, did he? Oh shit, is he out there, waiting for us to come back?"

"No! He is…you are _safe_ , all right? I…he…he cannot harm us anymore. I promise you that."

"Okaaaay, so what are you not telling me here? Something about this is bugging you, big time…I can see it in your eyes! Satsuki, please tell me. _What happened?_ If you won't tell me, I'll just beat it outta Mikisugi or whoever else is lurking-"

" _All right_ , damn it! I'll…I'll tell you. Please, _please_ do not get upset by what I have to tell you, Matoi…although the chances of  that are quite slim at this point, I suppose. He is now deceased, yes…he was not felled by my hand, but rather your _own_."

"…holy shit. _I_ killed him? How the hell did I manage that? I don't…remember this at all?"

"Do not seek to blame yourself. You weren't…yourself, Ryuko. Nor can I bear to go into those details right now."

"Yeah, but-"

"Ryuko. Please do not make me recount those details! I simply…I cannot do this right now! I _will_ go over it later, I swear to you! Just…not now. Not _now_ …"

"O-okay. Understood, boss. Sorry about that."

Satsuki dabbed moisture away from her eyes for the hundredth time that day with a well-used handkerchief. When she finished, she stuffed it into her purse and turned back to Ryuko, who was now staring vacantly at the ceiling. Finding out that you were somehow responsible for the death of another person was never an easy proposition, and Satsuki could see this reality was now seeping into Ryuko's unnerved features.

"Ryuko, look. While you were being treated here, I…had to make a decision. I have not acted upon this without considering every angle, and I hope you do not mind too much. The mansion is no longer a safe haven, nor will it be possible for us to override the awful memories of what just happened. Both for myself, and for _you_ , especially. So, bearing that in mind, I have made the decision for us to leave. To move out. The mansion will still serve a purpose, but not as our homestead. We shall find a new place to live together, the both of us. I wanted to have your input in this regard, so I have postponed the signing of any contracts as of yet…I have narrowed it down to a few very lovely spots, and I believe that you will be most excited to see-"

"Ah! Matoi Ryuko! Half undressed and in bed already, and I have only _just_ arrived! I cannot tell you how very… exciting this is for me…!' Slinking up against the door frame was one Mikisugi Aikurō, former Nudist Beach commander, scientist and shameless flirt. Mikisugi's sensual purr escaped from pouting lips as his doctor's coat started to slide off one shoulder. "There needs to be a detailed…examination of your body's current state, yes? I'm afraid that the time has come to-"

Ryuko noisily ground her teeth, her tender mental state dangerously inflamed by his crass attitude. "I will straight up _kill_ you, sparkle slut. I'll use a rake. It will be in the newspapers. It will _not_ be pretty." Satsuki's patrician fingers drummed slowly upon her crossed arm, evoking to Mikisugi a vision of an unimaginably lethal spider, planning a particularly devious injection of poison and subsequent mummification of a hapless victim. He was oblivious to just how remarkably close this image was to what actually lurked in the young Kiryuin's mind.

"Ah, and yet some say that laughter is the best medicine, no?" His gaze flitted back and forth between two very unimpressed faces, perfectly mirroring one another with their fury-bent eyebrows and intense frowns. "W-well…that _may_ have been a placebo, I suppose. How that could have slipped in there is beyond even my keen intuition…?"

He slicked his hair back in one practiced swoop as he wiped off the horny playboy expression and put on his superlative doctor's business face instead. "Matoi. I am glad to see that you are finally awake! Lady Satsuki has been worried sick about you. You should be more careful in battle!"

"Oh yeah? _You_ should be more careful, or else someone might sneak up on you and-"

Kiryuin Satsuki raised one hand, cutting off Ryuko mid-threat. "Ryuko, please. Calm yourself." She turned to the suave scientist, who found himself nailed to the spot by the full gravity of her piercing, lethally serious glare. He briefly surmised that one look from _her_ was easily equivalent to an entire salvo of paralytic needles.

"Mikisugi. Do not seek to trifle with me _or_ my sister on this day. Either your bedside manner improves, or your graveside one does. _Choose wisely_."

A tug on her blouse caused her to swivel back to Ryuko, whose sad-puppy eyes were signaling a keen desire for attention. "Nee-sama, I'm _so_ thirsty…" she whined, and Satsuki squeezed her hand as she rose to fetch a drink. "Very well, Ryuko. Let me get some ice water for you. I could use some as well. Do you want a lemon slice in yours, dear?"

Ryuko squinted at her sister, a flabbergasted look dominating her cute face. "Are you fer real? Who am I, again?" Satsuki laughed, a merry sound echoing in the hallway. "Of course, how silly of me! I shall return shortly, dear heart. Oh, and Mikisugi? _Behave_."

Heel clicks echoing in the hallway, Ryuko waited until she thought it was safe, and then traded the cute act for a sinister grimace. One crooked finger motioned towards Aikurō, beckoning him to come near.

"All right, 'Doctor Shiny Jackass, PhDickhead'. Spill. How is she doing? I'd have to guess that I've been out for a few days, right?"

"Well, actually…just over three weeks."

"F-fucking _what_?"

"Matoi, please calm down! This is quite normal, to be in a coma for a period of time after such a violent and traumatic injury!"

"COMA? _How_ traumatic? I think I remember…getting shot or whatever?"

"Ah, yes. That is correct. You were shot in the back."

"So? I'm chock full of life fibers, yeah? Why would a little ol' bullet bother me this much? I've been stabbed clean through like a thousand damned times by now!"

"Because of that 'little old bullet', Ryuko…your aorta was _ruptured_. It was a miracle that you survived _at all_ , life fibers or no."

"O-oh. Umm…so what? I mean, I've had my entire heart yanked out of my chest before, right? No big deal!"

"Whereupon it made its way back into your chest cavity… _intact_. Tell me, Matoi: what happened when Ragyo ruptured her very own heart in front of you? Was it 'no big deal' for her?"

"N-no, she…uhhh…pretty much died instantaneously."

"Well, then. Now you see just how very lucky you are. If that bullet had been just a few millimeters lower? You would be very, very dead right now. It was quite the amazing feat that your fibers were able to weave together and patch the damage long enough for the tissues to heal properly. It certainly took enough blood transfusions to allow this to happen…life fibers become quite thirsty when taxed to the limit, you see. You _can_ actually be killed, you do realize?"

"R-right. O-of course. Yeah, I guess so. So...how is Satsuki, though? She must have been worried sick! And she ain't looking too good right about now. Have you been taking care of her, as well?"

"Matoi, _no one_ tells Lady Satsuki what to do, not even a doctor. Yes, of  course I have hinted to her that she needs to take care of herself! Perhaps _you_ can convince her of this, because she regards my opinion to be on the level of every other human on Earth, apparently. And by that, I mean 'hardly at all'."

"Oi, damn it Sats…what the hell…"

"Look, Matoi. What you need to do is to simply get better! I'm convinced that you two are inextricably linked. What is good for one will nourish the other! She already looks much heartier now that you are awake, I have noticed. This is the key! So follow your doctor's orders, and get better. I believe you will see her rebound once _you_ do!"

"All right! I'll do it! I'll be outta here in no time at all!"

"That's the spirit! But Matoi…don't push it! No one has ever medically treated such a life-fiber-enhanced individual such as yourself in this particular manner. We need to be cautious, okay? No crazy stunts!"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it."

"Excellent! I will return in due time to perform some tests. But for now, I believe I hear your dear sister returning. I will leave you two alone for some quality time."

"Yeah, th-thanks, Mikisugi-san. I…appreciate your help."

"But of course! Anything for the girls who saved the entire world! Fare well, Ryuko!"

He slipped out of the room, briefly nodding as he passed the returning Satsuki. She brought in two cups full of ice water, one with a few lemon wedges crammed in for good measure. Ryuko's eyes lit up as she reached for the heavenly citrus oasis.

" _Slowly_ , please. No vomiting from you tonight, understood?" Satsuki sternly held the glistening cup just out of reach, firm glare staring down as she waited for a sign of compliance. Ryuko would have sold her soul for that glass right now, so agreeing to these terms was but a simple thing for her.

"Yes, ma'am! I promise...now gimme!" The icy cup was then placed in her grateful hand, whereupon she carefully sipped from it, the delightfully welcome cold water trickling down her annoyingly dry throat. She coughed a bit at first as the water went down, and she made a big show of stopping to take a breath between sips to make sure Satsuki witnessed her adherence to the letter of the beverage law, lest a citrus related embargo be launched by the Kiryuin Water Authority.

" _*sigh*_ You certainly do love your lemons, don't you? Why _is_ that, anyway? I've never seen anyone eat them whole like you do. Even I could not stand to do that." Satsuki observed as she watched Ryuko carefully fish out a wedge, then consume it with savory gusto, peel and all.

Ryuko shrugged as she spit a lemon seed out onto the tray next to her, much to Satsuki's quiet disgust. "Mmmm, yeah… _*ptui*_ that's some good stuff, right there. Well ya see, Satsuki…when I was a kid, we were always told the importance of vitamin C and stuff in school, and I tried to load up on any citrus-based goodies I could during lunch. Ya know, like a good girl should? Didn't want to get scurvy, right? Even pirates knew better than that…but those kids were real assholes to me, and they would steal everything off my plate and eat it in front of me before I had a chance. But no one was gonna eat a _lemon_ in front of me to spite my bullied ass, so I just adapted to eating them whole. Plus, it showed them all how tough I was! ' _Aw heck, she just ate a lemon..._ _the entire thing_ _? I ain't gonna mess with her!_ ' was all I would hear for a while. So I got used to the bitter taste, and even grew to like it after a while, y'know? Hey, it worked! Well, at least I didn't get scurvy, anyways…heh heh heh!"

Satsuki just stared at her sister, an unsettling melancholy manifesting itself as knit-together eyebrows and a sad frown. The all-too-familiar phrase ' _I got used to the bitter taste..._ ' roiled about in the recesses of her mind, only it was in her _own_ voice instead, residual echoes of when Satsuki confided her personal tastes in tea to dear Soroi. For two such radically different beings, they had some frighteningly familiar coping mechanisms in place.

She quietly murmured "I'm sorry, imouto-san. I had no idea..." as she gently stroked one of Ryuko's sheet-covered knees. _'Oh sure, a quick caress will be all it takes to just melt away all those years of abuse….right, Kiryuin? Ah hell, but what else is there to do? She asked and I told her the truth. Next time, I'll just say 'I just really, really like lemons!' That'll save her the time of worrying, right now she looks so damned sad...'_ Ryuko mused as she glanced up and spied the frown, the lines in Satsuki's face, her hollow cheeks and exhausted eyes.

Ryuko pushed her own extreme fatigue and discomfort aside to craft and present a beguiling smirk of casualness. "Aw, heck. Enough about me, sitting here all 'wah-wah-wah, life was so tough', right? Are _you_ all right? How's work? Weren't there some big deal court cases or something coming up soon? How did that all turn out?"

At this, Satsuki's eyes darted to look out the window, intently occupying herself with some imagined event or other suitable distraction. Being nighttime, there wasn't much visible from this angle, but it was better than looking Ryuko in the eye for the time being. She didn't have the heart to go into the details of how poorly the legal battles were going.

"Oh, everything is fine, considering. Hōōmaru Rei has been covering for me for the most part. Ragyo trained her to do far more than I had originally surmised, at least as far as corporate slave work is concerned, that is. She has quite a talent for it."

"Do you trust her with that? I mean, she tried to kill you once."

"I do. Hōōmaru has had a rather profound change of heart. She now wants to be on the side that creates a better world, so no one else will have to endure suffering like she did as a child. The error of her ways has been keenly observed and duly noted by yours truly. She is quite sorry that she came to assist the very kind of monster that once caused war and strife to consume her own village, many years ago. She labored under the illusion that Ragyo was to be the savior of mankind and worshipped her as such. But now… _now_ she wishes to atone for her past sins. In this goal, we are united."

She looked down at that moment, and Ryuko could almost see the weight of Kiryuin Satsuki's duty physically manifest as signs of tremendous stress rippled within her sagging form. She could just barely make out the jagged bolt of scar tissue that streaked across her elder sibling's neck, the white standing out in clear relief from her already-pale skin. Satsuki's index finger had been absentmindedly tracing this slice, playing the moment she received it over and over in her head while she pondered how the woman who once tried to execute her was now faithfully fighting a daring legal battle in her stead.

"Rei fights for me. Even now, to save the future of the corporation that I wish to utilize for good. I have plans, Ryuko. Plans for creating a better world…and I'll be _damned_ if I let the petty tyrants of the world have their way with it!"

"I see. And if you end up dying from all that stress? What then, Kiryuin Satsuki?"

"Then I will have at least tried to absolve myself of my terrible crimes against humanity."

"Karōshi is a real thing, ya know."

"It's not that at all! I have a duty to set things right! The Kiryuin legacy…the scales must be balanced! My discomfort matters not in the grand scheme of things!"

Ryuko shrugged nonchalantly. It wasn't like her to loosen her fangs while embedded this deeply in a conversation, yet she did so willingly...if only to strike from a better angle. She gazed out the dark window, her expression mirror-calm as the frigid North Atlantic on the night of the Titanic disaster.

"Yeah, sure…all right. God, I am so tired right now. I've been basically sleeping for almost a month, and I feel like I haven't gotten a wink? Weird. Well, anyways. Oh…hey, Satsuki-sama? I was wondering something. Would it bother you at all if I told you I was thinking of killing myself?"

Kiryuin Satsuki froze, a painful icepick of paralysis skewering her tender heart. "Wh-wh- _what_? Y-you cannot be serious? Ryuko-chan…that would cripple me! No, utterly  destroy me, as well as all of those who love you! We all love you so very much, surely you know this? I cannot allow you to think in this manner, we _need_ you! You may not realize it, but you, Matoi Ryuko, are a healing force of beautiful cheer to all who have come to know you! Whatever is distressing you, I promise that we can work it out! Please, Ryuko… _please_ believe me!"

Ryuko slowly dragged her eyes from the window to Satsuki's overly worried face. She locked a serious expression to Satsuki's own as her observations were carefully laid forth. The tidal forces of her wisdom would either break them apart or compel a cohesive bond…but she couldn't let things go as they were currently headed.

"Every single thing you just said of me is true of you, as well. _We_ all love you, and we'll all be destroyed by your own ruin! If you overwork yourself to the point of it being basically suicide, you will succeed in killing _me_ , too. Who exactly are you trying to build a new world for, hmm? Can't we live in it too, you and me? Satsuki, you gotta balance your need for atonement with an appreciation of your own damned life!"

Satsuki frowned deeply. She didn't appreciate stumbling into this verbal trap so easily...or that an utterly exhausted, bedridden girl was outflanking her in this emotional match so succinctly. "That is _not_ a fair assessment of the situation at hand, Matoi. Furthermore, I don't appreciate-"

"No, it's not fair…is it? _Fuck_ being fair! Think of what your actions do to others for once, damn you! You want to set things right, Kiryuin? Then start  here, right _now_. Care about _yourself_ , Kiryuin Satsuki...you _need_ to start doing this! How can I possibly hope to heal if you're not going to be there to help me, huh? Oh, and if you're gonna start spewing some bullshit about 'not deserving it' or 'being unworthy of caring' or whatever, then I'll follow you right down that path, that example you lead. If there's truly no hope for you, then the same goes for _me_. Get it? We are in this… _together_."

Satsuki's head dropped precipitously, gravity finding less resistance within her proud neck due to the sudden weight of shame. She breathed in a long, steady rush of air, and found it to be suddenly stifling in that room. Perhaps…Ryuko had a point? Was it possible to see a way past her personal specter of eternal self-disappointment, the nigh-impossible pursuit of perfection? Much like a blade that was honed so sharply it shattered, she could also be overly unforgiving and hard on her own self…the years of pursuing this mindset were starting to wear upon her psyche. But how, then, to determine the proper course of action? The stakes are so very high, even now…mistakes would be unacceptable and shameful! And yet…isn't that how she felt right now?

Ryuko reached out and caressed the tightly-wound fist of her sibling. "I'll help you with this, Sats. I swear. Will you help me, too? Please?"

Satsuki's lip trembled as she whispered her offering. "I can only promise to…try. I know of no other way to live."

"That's a start! We can build on that promise. Someday, you'll learn to see the woman I see in you, the beautiful champion that everyone sees in you. This I promise to you, Lady Kiryuin Satsuki!" Matoi Ryuko beamed an encouraging smile of hopefulness towards her sibling. Satsuki, who found her cheeks flushing at the sight of the girl's infectious spunkiness, allowed a faint smirk to ripple over her own lips.

"You're really something else, Matoi Ryuko…you're the one who's supposed to be healing here, not me! I knew you were special the moment I saw you on the steps of Honnōji Academy. I just had no idea you could be this…charming. Your tongue is cast in the purest of silver, this I swear!"

Ryuko's cheeks flushed with pink, and she struggled mightily with the urge to sexualize the 'tongue' comment, but now was not the time. Instead, she pursed her lips in quiet shyness and cocked her head to one side.

"Satsuki-sama. May I ask a favor of you? I would like to sit next to the window. Can you please help me move over there so that I may sit in that chair? I would greatly appreciate it."

Ryuko's request was unusually formal and polite, the carefully chosen speech eliciting a pair of curious eyebrows to rise up. "Why, of course I'll help you, dear. Are you sure you're feeling up to it? You must be exhausted…?" Satsuki leaned over to embrace Ryuko as she slowly moved forward, testing her stiff joints and cramped back as her younger sibling swung her legs over the bed's edge.

"I can sleep when I'm dead. Right now I need to do this thing I do when I get…what?"

"Ryuko, could you not say such things? I know you don't mean anything by it, but-"

"Yeah, sorry. Damn, I just _knew_ the moment those words left my lips, it was poor phrasing. I'm very sorry, Satsuki-sama…please accept my apology."

"Of course I do. My goodness, I must say that your diction was flawless. From hence does this proper decorum originate, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Aw heck, I figured it would convince you to let me sneak over to the window for a bit. I could just see you scolding me fer even gettin' outta bed at all. So, maybe I…buttered you up a bit? See that, I _can_ totally speak with absolutely proper speech when I want to!"

"Hmm. Well, apparently it worked. Your guile is duly noted, you sly fox!"

Ryuko shrugged, smirking as she did. "Pfft, oh, please… _you_ are the real 'fox' around here, babe!" She chuckled as she settled down in the chair next to the window. Ryuko always adored the tiny window in time between her flirty compliments and Satsuki's automatic 'serious face' recovery: in between was the loveliest sight she ever could hope to catch…that of honest blushing and genuinely surprised shyness. It melted her heart every time, to see her ultra-stuffy sibling reacting in such an adorable manner, even if the moment was brief and fleeting.

Ryuko placed one palm against the cold glass, the warmth from her hand causing a glow of heated fogginess to outline her fingers in pale relief. She cast her eyes down upon the hospital's parking lot and the surrounding city, admiring the endless twinkle of lights while she gathered her turbulent thoughts before she spoke.

"Windows…they hold a lot of meaning for me, Satsuki. Always have. Ever since I was little, I've always spent time looking through them, just waiting for better times to come around, ya know? At first I was only waiting at the window for Dad to come pick me up from boarding school, but he never came to get me. I spend about a decade or so waiting for that to happen, but that man would _never_ take the time from his work to make the journey to pick me up in person. The few times I was allowed to return home for the holidays early on, he would just…send me money and have me take the train all by myself. I was so scared, doing that! I watched the other kids get picked up by their parents all the time…I always thought to myself ' _When is it ever gonna be_ _my_ _turn?_ ' Maybe I was always looking for _someone_ to show up and rescue me, so windows ended up representing some kind of hope, I guess? Like…whatever was on the other side of the window held the promise of a better situation than what I was experiencing, I suppose. The grass is always greener, right?"

Ryuko ran her fingertip through the fogged handprint image left on the glass, absentmindedly drawing lines through the ghostly fingers one at a time. She sighed listlessly, then rested her chin upon the arm which was resting on the windowsill, wistful melancholy tiring her more than her bedridden-related fatigue ever could.

"You know what's funny, Sats? One of my earliest memories is from when Dad changed from being the 'caring younger dad' to the 'old bitter jerk' that I ended up knowing most of my life. I honestly thought that people just…transformed immediately into old age because of that: from cool guy 'Kiryūin Sōichirō' to jerk-ass 'Matoi Isshin', although I was too young to know about his real name. He was just 'Daddy' to me…not that my confusion ever registered as being important to _him_ , mind you. He was all like _'Yes, Daddy looks different now, so just deal with it, Ryuko! Now stay still so I can jam this needle in your arm_ _again_ _!'_ Isn't that funny? That I thought people just went _-poof-_ and they were old? Joke's on _me_ , I guess…at least, it always felt that way."

Satsuki gingerly sat upon the chair's armrest, her hand seeking out Ryuko's shoulder in an act of soothing comfort. She squeezed gently, and Ryuko's hand reached back and flopped down upon it to return the gesture. She shrugged weakly, as if to say _'Hey, what can ya do, right?'_

"Dad just sent me money, along with his written excuses. That was his way of saying 'sorry' for every time he disappointed me…and he did that a _lot_ , believe me. For a while, I just spent it on my friends…well, okay. The kids that would hang around me because I gave them money and bought them candy and crap. Bribery, really. Rented 'friends' are all I really had back then, I guess. But the more neglected I felt and the more kids teased me about having no real family, the more fights I got into at school. So Dad would retaliate by docking my allowance. So…less money, less 'friends'. Eventually, I couldn't even bribe anyone to hang out with me…I was branded as tainted goods to everyone, the 'anger management' kid who transfers schools every damned year. I was so hurt, so fucking angry…I've had a real anger problem ever since. I guess _that's_ a big surprise, right? Good ol' ' _Impulse Drive Matoi_ ', the short-fused delinquent punk from hell!"

She felt the hand upon her shoulder squeeze just a little a bit harder, followed by a gentle kiss placed upon her head. Satsuki whispered into the tousled rat's nest of hair upon Ryuko's head "It wasn't your fault, dear heart… _any_ of it. I'm so very sorry for what you have had to endure. I myself still find it hard to believe that he was the very same man who I recalled as being a cheerful, loving soul. Why he acted this way later in life is beyond even me."

Ryuko grunted quietly in agreement, then shrugged. She was too tired to start crying now, so a long drawn-out sigh was sent out in place of her absent tears.

"I was there when Dad died, I felt his spirit leave...and when it did, I think that maybe all my last feelings of 'family' might have gone up in flames with him. I mean, did I _ever_ have a family to begin with at all? The more I think of it, the more I get the feeling that I was just a pawn to be used in his revenge scheme, like a living booby trap! But what was I really seeking, when I showed up at Honnōji Academy that day? Revenge for having my father, my last shred of family, ripped away from me? Or was I mad because I had wanted him all to  myself… so I could finally wring an answer from him, once and for all? For all the years that went by, being so lonely and lost…and he did _nothing_ to show me he truly cared? Like the money he sent was somehow going to patch things up, make me feel better, when all I wanted was for him to say ' _Ryuko, come home now, I miss you so much_ ' and not more bullshit excuses like ' _Sorry Ryuko, I'm too busy with my research, maybe next year_ '? God DAMN it all to hell!"

Satsuki had no answers, no soothing words to provide relief from this kind of pain. "I…I cannot speak as to his motivations. I know that he was driven to stop Ragyo at all costs. He apparently felt that it was worth giving up his entire life to research ways to accomplish this. I fact, I think that-"

"Look, Sats…I get it. Dad gave up his own life for revenge. I gave up my own life to find answers. You gave up your own life to find justice. Hell, Ragyo gave up her own life _and_ humanity for power! We need to stop sacrificing all we have, Satsuki! If anything needs to stop being a defining characteristic of the Kiryuin bloodline, it's _this_!"

"Ryuko-sama, I'm truly sorry for my actions. I continue to allow my personal, selfish motivations to harm you, even now. From the beginning, all of my devious scheming and machinations...I used you like a pawn. I used everyone to my own ends. There simply _must_ have been a better way…"

"Aw, come on. I've forgiven you for all that! At least now I know what makes you tick, and I understand why you did the things you did…and _still_ do. I just can't hold that stuff against you, ya know? Not anymore!"

"I haven't truly earned your forgiveness, not really. Or anyone's, for that matter. It will be a long time before I can say with conviction that the scales are balanced."

"God damn it, Satsuki, fuck your concept of 'scales'! Fucking hell, I almost forgave _Ragyo_ , why can't I forgive you? Shit, I actually offered her a chance to come back to Earth at the last minute, you know…both for punishment of her appalling fucking crimes, but also for second chances. I don't ever want to think that just by having life fibers in your body, it means you don't have control over your own fate...but Ragyo sure showed me that her fate was in her hands. Literally, even!"

"I don't know if I would have been as accepting of her return as you. Some things simply cannot _be_ forgiven. I quite probably would have succumbed to the urge to murder her _myself_ , if and when I was confronted by her continued existence. I...I'm _not_ sorry she's gone, Matoi. Death was too good for the likes of her, but the idea that she truly _is_ gone does bring me a modicum of comfort, however small."

"I know. I'm really sorry. I hadn't thought of how it might have affected you, if I had somehow managed bring her back with me that day. I just...I dunno...I didn't want to let _another_ parent die before me without at least the attempt at salvation, I guess? I know that's super fucked up, given the circumstances. I _know_ it. But still, if I blindly assume that she did everything she did just because of the life fibers within her, pulling her strings...then what does that say about me? I guess a tiny part of me wanted to believe it _was_ just the fibers that made her evil, and that I could have maybe...brought a sane Mom back for us to  both have? I know that's, like, the stupidest and most naïve thing I could ever possibly believe, and it's so damned dumb, like hoping an ice cube would survive inside a volcano! Dammit, I just...I-"

"No, Ryuko-san. That speaks volumes to your character, that you could believe there was still some good left, even in...her. It proves that you are willing to grant people forgiveness...it proves that you truly possess a good soul, down the very core of your being! It's not life fibers that make people evil, Ryuko. It is ultimately their heart that betrays them. I understand the desire to want a normal family, I truly do. Sometimes I do think of how life would be, if I had grown up with a real mother in my life...like...well, like-"

"Oh, ya mean like Sukuyo-sama?"

"Yes! That woman is...she's truly amazing! I don't know _how_ she does what she does; she has had to put up with impossible odds, providing for her family while remaining the most cheerful and kind, l-loving...she...the last time we visited the Mankanshoku household? She actually _hugged_ me. Me! And the craziest thing was that she really meant it. I could feel it, that she truly cared! After all I had done, the cruelty of keeping her family in abject poverty, a-and she can still stand to show genuine affection towards my own self? It's just...just-"

"The word is 'incomprehensible', Sats. It's a big part of the whole 'family' thing, I guess. You forgive people for their evil ways. You have to, or the family crumbles...and I guess that family is the most important thing you can ever have, right?"

"Do you know the first time I truly felt _any_ guilt for what I had done, Ryuko? I first felt it after getting to know Mako's family. I didn't think a person could remain pure and good if they were denied the best things in life, the comfort of material goods and such. I was wrong. I know that now. People like Mako-san and Sukuyo-sama, people borne out of crushing poverty who still remain golden examples of how humans should be and act accordingly? How _dare_ I create hell on Earth for those that are, deep down inside, better than I could ever hope to be...?"

"Okay. So…exactly why _did_ you keep everyone so damned poor, anyways?"

"Why? History has shown time and again that hungry people accomplish more than well-fed ones ever could. This is historical fact, as well as a fundamental component to the human condition. I needed a strong, disciplined army to defeat Ragyo, not fat, complacent fools! Such an army could not spring forth from the lap of sheer luxury!"

"Yeah, well…your lieutenants sure lived in some pretty nice digs. I should know, I lived there myself, for a short while."

"They were rewarded for their hard work, yes…they earned their keep! I didn't have to question their resolve! They were still _hungry_ , Ryuko…even if their personal needs were met! Look, I know full well of the extent of my personal philosophy's touch. I need to give back to the world, to make up for my awful past decisions. I am aware of this, I assure you! But I'm scared of paying my penance improperly, injustly…as it was before! It feels like I damage everything I touch in my quest to do the right thing. I can certainly build a virtual prison, but how to build a paradise? I'm so damned ham-handed and selfish in my ways. I even…hell, I even sleep with my own s-sister! Damn me to hell, _I'm_ a living example of Ragyo's corrupting touch…an utter abomination!"

Ryuko flinched painfully, as though scalded by the heated outburst. A remorseful expression flooded her features as she prepared to brave these treacherous waters. "She…she touched me _,_ too. What does that make _me,_ I wonder? Look, Satsuki…have you ever needed to tell someone something that might make them both happy _and_ sad at the same time? I don't really see you as my sister, I guess. I mean I totally _do_ , obviously I know that, but…I don't quite know what that would really feel like, is what I mean? I don't have any family feelings to speak of, and I ain't so sure I'd recognize it if it hit me square in the face. 'Family'…what the hell is _that_ word supposed to mean? You, you're the hot chick I fell in love with, so I never had an issue with the, y'know…the sex and stuff. Maybe, I dunno, Mako feels like a sister to me, I guess? Like a really close friend, a strong bond? Maybe that's why it was so weird for us, trying to have sex and failing so very hilariously. I dunno, it was so awkward. Trying to read people properly is so frickin' hard for me! I always feel like I missed some ' _How to Be a Proper Human with Real Emotions and Stuff'_ guide book that everyone else got when they were younger, ya know?"

"Kiryuin Satsuki, you're the only person I know who could possibly put up with me, who could understand the gravity of being near a monster like me and survive it, too! Fuck, can you imagine me dating? ' _Hi, I'm Matoi Ryuko, and I'm an alien hybrid killing machine! I like long walks on the beach, piña coladas and turning into an enraged blood beast. Wanna fuck?_ ' I mean heck, I let Senketsu into my heart, and he was like a part of my own soul, but that's because…because he was _made_ for me! My dad had to _make_ me a friend that could put up with my obnoxious ass, imagine that! He accepted my tainted self and loved me anyways, when no one else could ever hope to truly understand me…how fuckin' twisted all these years of hate have left me…but now _you_ actually love me anyways? No one else is strong enough _or_ brave enough to do that! How you haven't run away screaming by now is beyond me!"

"Ryuko-chan, you are the most beautiful, loving heart of it all, you are a work of pure art and intensity, _oh Gods above_ , I think it might be a part of why I am attracted to you, that you _are_ my sister. My only sexual contact before you was…was _her_! I h-hated her, Ryuko. I absolutely despised even breathing the same oxygen as her…but m-my body, my damned weak body? It liked the physical contact, and I felt purely sick for enjoying it at all, but…I _crave_ it now, all the same! I feel safe with you…I can't…t-trust anyone else either, I cannot even imagine that happening! The person you know of as Kiryuin Satsuki is not strong, she's pitifully weak. By succumbing to this terrible urge to f-fuck my only sibling…I'm so damned evil, I'm ruining your life! You're the only reason I suspect I might even have a human soul, after all I've done…and yet here I am: ruining you with my greedy touch, too! The apple obviously doesn't f-fall far from the tree, now does it?"

Ryuko stared at her sniffling, trembling sister, trying to find the magic words to make it all better and failing miserably. She suddenly yawned just then, a fearsome cavern full of pointy incisors that was inhabited by a curling pink tongue. The intense emotional pressure was coming to a head, and she was robbed of her staying power almost to the point of unconsciousness.

"Oi, Sats…even your neurosis is overblown. Look, I really need you to understand something here. You are _not_ ruining anything…give me more credit than that, please? God damn it, you saved the world…when are you going to ease up on yourself? Look Satsuki, you really need to get some rest. You…no offense intended here, understand? But seriously, you look like total shit. And that's coming from _the_ total shit master! I mean, damn. Just look at me over here! So why don't you go and-"

"I. Am. **_Not_**. Leaving. You."

"Whoa! I wasn't asking that you leave. I just want you to get some sleep, that's all! Catch some winks on that couch over there. We can talk more about this in the morning…"

"Er…couch? I'm afraid there is no couch in this room, Ryuko."

"Uh, duh, it's right there, nee-san. Hello? That brown, fuzzy beanbag couch or whatever. In the corner?"

Satsuki followed the extended index finger to the darkened side of the hospital room. Squinting, she finally recognized and then understood the source of their mutual confusion. Chuckling, she then sang out in hushed glee, savoring the coming surprise. "Oh, my dear Ryuko-chan. A couch, you say? I believe you'll be surprised to find that is but a 'small' token of someone's love and concern for your well-being. Observe. Mind the bright lights, please…"

Satsuki got up and limped over to the light switch, joints groaning and complaining loudly as she did. The other side of the room was thusly illuminated, and the sight managed to flabbergast the normally stoic and bravely verbose Matoi Ryuko into speechless gawping. The other chairs, bureau and sink were completely covered with dozens of flower bouquets, innumerable get-well cards, random gift bags…and a disturbingly large fuzzy teddy bear.

"Buh…whuh…uhhh…?" was all she could utter from her loosely drooping maw. Kiryuin Satsuki chuckled once more, arms crossed in smug satisfaction: drinking deeply from _this_ spectacle was warming her insides in a manner that no medicine or liquor could ever match.

"Yes, Ryuko…it's true. _This_ many people care about you! That monstrosity in the corner is a gift from Jakuzure Nonon, in case you somehow couldn't tell. Its name is apparently 'Ozzy', I've been told. It was supposed to be 'Fozzy', but Nonon said you'd find that name funnier, for some reason? Just getting it here in the room at all was a humorous story, in and of itself. Gamagōri Ira himself had to drag it up here, since poor Nonon and Mako couldn't possibly hope to do it on their own! Nonon had it custom made for you by her _own_ personal stuffed animal tailor, I'll have you know! Also, she has a 'personal stuffed animal tailor', which I did not know even existed as an occupation until recently. Oh, and there _were_ a rather large assortment of various chocolate boxes here at some point in time…I'm afraid to report that Mako gets quite upset when she visits you, and the candy samplers were routinely sacrificed in the name of her comfort."

"She ate them _all_? Aw…still, that's classic Mako. Oh man, she must be a total wreck by now!"

"I try to pacify her with as much tenacity as I can muster, but she is quite the, _er_ , handful at times…behave, get well, and perhaps we can… _transfer_ you out of here, hmm? Then you can see her again soon for your weekly gaming night, yes?"

"Yeah, you don't 'pacify' Mako so much as 'witness' her- _wait_ … _Trans_ - **whaaat?**! Seriously, Sats? Did you just… _go there_?"

"I _did_. Suck it up, sweetheart. You need to allow for at least a little bit of needling, if you ever hope to survive ' _The Kiryuin Satsuki Experience'_ , yes?

"- _grrrr_ \- You are _such_ a bitch, sometimes. I swear!"

"Mmm, true. I learned it by watching you, perhaps?"

"You…are you frickin' serious? This, coming from the ' _Queen Bitch of Steel Panties Nation_ ' herself?"

"Relax! I'm just toying with you, dear heart. We're _both_ magnificent bitches of the highest caliber! Life has made us that way…and personally, I shall not deny my nature to anyone. You should follow suit…not that I expect any less of you, of course! Woe unto those foolish enough to be our enemies, hmm? However, I _do_ want you to understand that, being such a person…I never intend to inflict true harm or disrespect upon you, Matoi Ryuko. Please believe this and remember it well. I can't pretend that I am not a difficult person, or that I will ever be anything but that in the future. A leopard cannot change its spots, after all. But I do love you so, and always shall. This horrible incident has only served to remind me of just how very important you are to me…I need to show you and tell you this more often, now more than ever! Even if I should somehow never succeed in actually becoming a better person than I am now? I, Kiryuin Satsuki, will _never_ stop trying for you."

"Right, then. That settles it. Get over here, you! This big-assed hospital bed's big enough for the both of us. I need you next to me right now!"

"I…well, I think-"

"Shaddap! I'm the patient here, I make the rules!"

"That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever! The patient doesn't get to-"

" _This_ patient is gonna lose _her_ patience! I need you to be here, right next to me! Doctor Matoi is prescribing herself some quality snuggling, and to hell with anyone who says different! Let them take my medical license! It'll be worth it, just to be next to you again!"

"…oh very well, you win. I could use some of that, myself. I've m-missed you so…so very much. Get in bed _slowly_ now, there you go. Okay, now over… carefully, please! You simply aren't at full strength! Now to get the bed to lie down, where's the control? There we go, that's better. Ah, perhaps now I can finally get some real sleep for once? I've been _*yawn*_ having a terrible time even…even falling asleep, these days. Been so…so _*yawn*_ jealous, watching you slumber. I know that sounds so silly and inappropriate, but it's true, please forgive me! Goodness, it's so warm here next to you, Ryuko-chan! I swear, you must generate excess amounts of heat by way of your immense caloric intake. _Mmmm_ -it's so nice…to feel you moving, breathing, talking again. Please do _*yawn*_ excuse my rudeness, 'm jus' so damned _tired_ …I have so much to talk about, so much I still need to tell…you…my dear heart…I'm…mmm… _mmmm_ -"

"Aw…aaaaand she's down for the count, everyone! Ding ding, I win! So now I guess it's _my_ turn to watch over _you_ , right? Ah, you know…someday, Kiryuin Satsuki, I promise. Someday, I'll be brave enough to admit to your face just how pretty you look when you sleep! Your big ol' serious brows and permafrown just relax, and you become this…sweet, beautiful delicate creature. Yeah, and mebbe you _won't_ kill me fer admitting that, too. _-snort-_ Pssht, yeah right, that'll be the day! _*yawn*_ Heck, I'm gettin' all tired jus' lookin' at yer cute lil' mug right now! Shit, now why am _I_ so exhausted, I've been sleepin' fer weeks, right? Boy, I guess gettin' shot really takes a lot outta ya, even if a bunch of life fibers are there to save the day, huh? Yep, I guess maybe a nap sure feels like a _*yawn*_ really good idea, right about now…I'll take good care of ya…yer in good…hands, my big ol'…squishy… _softy_ _Satsy_ …"

If Ryuko was just a tad bit more observant during her drowsy confession, she might have noticed the faintest of smiles ghosting over her sister's otherwise motionless lips. Alas, she was now down for the count as well.

-Five years later-

"What have you always wanted to do?"

"I'm afraid I don't follow."

"Well, you know…our childhoods and all that. I have a bunch of crap I never got to do, circumstances being what they were…so I figured you must be the same way? I mean, here we are, gettin' back in touch with the concept of childhood…we need to become experts, right?"

"Mmm, yes. That, and we need to do it right this time."

"Right! So…?"

"Ah, what have _I_ always wanted to do? Well…no, it's silly."

"No, it ain't! What is it? Is it something we can do with Jun?"

"Well, of course. I once witnessed a most interesting tournament in Brazil, a long time ago. There were these kites, and they were used as cutting weapons against each other in the most interesting display of-"

"Uh…whoa, she's _not_ doing that, Satsuki. Not on my watch! No more training children for war! _Bad, bad Satsuki!_ _Bad girl!_ "

"What? Oh heavens, no! Of _course not_ , Ryuko! I just meant that…I've never flown a kite before. I was merely explaining to you the first time I saw it done, and the idea stuck with me…to fly so freely, yet to be in complete control of it. I suppose I _have_ flown in the sky, in my own time. We both have, of course! Yet I don't think we were allotted the time to truly enjoy the experience. Still, there's something alluring to me in that simple activity. Would that be all right with you?"

"Never flew a kite, huh?"

"No. Many childhood activities were deemed to be 'frivolous' and 'unnecessary' in the Kiryuin household."

"Well, good thing ya ain't a Kiryuin anymore! In the Matoi household, we have _fun_! C'mon, let's go dig up a kite or three, then! Heeeey…ya know what? I think I saw an eagle-shaped one at the hobby store downtown the other say…you can get that one!"

"Yes, we do have fun, don't we? Thank you so much for indulging me in my silliness."

"Nothing silly about that, ya know. Come on, let's be kids again…with our kid!"

"Please lead on, dear. You are the 'fun mom', after all!"

"Aw, come on. You are _so_ much fun!"

"Ryuko…don't give me 'that' look. It's…inappropriate! There is a time and a place..."

"Oi, Sats?"

"Yes?"

" _Go fly a kite_."


	10. - Divide -

-Nine Years Ago -

He had been in the office for quite some time. After regaining consciousness, he found that he was bound quite effectively to a chair, with some kind of black velvety bag over his head. He tried in vain to listen to his surroundings, to hopefully ascertain any clues as to where he might have been, but the room was apparently soundproofed. He could sense the room's dead nothingness, the absence of any and all auditory occurrences: this was the tip off, since he could hear his own grunting and muffled cursing just fine.

A click was heard nearby, and the faintest traces of light made themselves known under the bag's bottom. He heard some kind of shuffling, then the faint sound of a door being slammed. A scent filled his nostrils, perfume of some sort. Its odor was intense, cloying in its presence. He sniffed at the air, wondering who would wear so very much of such an ostentatious perfume. He tensed, waiting for the inevitable punch, or worse. Instead, the bag was slowly lifted from his head, revealing a brightly lit office.

Actually, no. This office was only illuminated by a single table lamp. Where was all this light coming from, then? Was it…was it coming from the person who was now standing before him? Some strange woman with the most outrageous hairstyle he had ever seen…and he remembered the music scene of the late eighties, so that was saying something.

"Good evening, young man. Are you perhaps noting my lovely fragrance? It's wonderful, isn't it? One would expect no less from the most expensive perfume in the world, after all! Scent is such an important part of your identity. It immediately communicates more than your clothes or demeanor because one can smell you without looking at or even talking to you. It's one of the most delicate yet strong parts of the human sensory experience…scent can evoke certain memories and give off a certain aura, desirable or otherwise. Wouldn't you agree, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Alexander Campion?"

The man squinted up at the tall woman, whose magnificently coiffed hair seemed to glow with a luminescent, multicolored aura. There was something rather unnerving about her features, especially her eyes...but he couldn't quite put a finger on it. ' _Lights?_ _Glowing hair?_ _I must be seeing things…how long was I out?_ ' he distantly pondered to himself as he defiantly spat out "Who the hell are you, lady? Why am I here and what the FUCK do you want with me? You're making a big mistake, kidnapping me! I've got-"

"What you have here, Mr. Campion, is an _opportunity_. You would do well to listen to my offer. Cease your inane prattling at once, or you will soon regret it!" Her voice was deep, husky. The accent was unusual, clipped and stilted: even though her English was grammatically perfect, he surmised that she was not born in America, but on foreign soil. Her English was _too_ good, too perfect for that to be the case. This was one of the many things he had learned to note in his years of meeting with foreign liaisons.

"Now, Mr. Campion…may I call you Alexander? I don't wish to be quite so formal, I feel as though a more…intimate connection needs to be forged here, yes? We _can_ be on first name terms here, can we not? You may call me Lady Ragyo. Now isn't that nice? I have bestowed upon you the great and rare privilege of addressing me on such familiar terms! I am nothing, if not generous!"

 _'_ _Raggio…Lady Raggio? That isn't…Italian, is it? She sure doesn't look Sicilian, that's for sure. Now where have I heard_ _that_ _oddball name before?'_ Alexander mused to himself, racking his brains for the information, dancing just out of his fatigued brain's reach.

"Look, you crazy bitch, I don't care what your name is! You need to let me go now, or I'll bring down the full fury of my-"

"Tut, tut! Respect, young man! This is the first rule of business negotiations! If you do not tread carefully, I shall be forced to reduce you to addressing me as 'Lady Ragyo Kiryuin, Chief Executive Officer of REVOCS Corporation'. Now I ask you: do you desire things to be so very formal between us? I, for one, was hoping for a more friendly relationship. You will discover that great things can happen when one is blessed enough to be counted amongst my many, many allies."

 _Kiryuin_. The owner of the largest clothing conglomerate in the world. A name that most people only ever referred to in hushed tones, as though it carried some association of an unlucky curse with it. A shiver involuntarily ran down Alex's spine as he swallowed thickly. He was suddenly acutely aware of his own ragged breathing, the air being somehow contaminated with that sickeningly sweet perfume.

"Since you are _only_ the executive vice president of your company, I suppose that perhaps I shall, in my infinite wisdom, forgive your transgressions for now. You see, young Alexander…I have need of your assistance with a rather pressing matter. Your company has been futilely resisting my attempts at a buyout, and this simply will not do. I _will_ be cornering the North American clothing market, and  your company is the lynchpin of this grand plan! The financial regulators in your country are but a minor annoyance for me, of course, but if your board of directors doesn't come around to see the light… _my light_ , well…"

Ragyo placed a white leather glove on the table in front of him. She paused briefly, to make sure he was watching the situation as it unfolded. Picking up the glove, she ceremoniously pulled it on over her right hand, gracefully donning the precisely-tailored garb as if she were preparing for opening night at the opera. The REVOCS CEO stretched out her hand, making an exaggerated show of admiring the delicate grace inherent in her flawless digits. She then slowly flexed her hand into a tight fist, the leather audibly groaning and protesting from the immense pressure coursing within her hand.

"I shall require but one thing from you and yours, Alexander: total and absolute obedience! You will be working for me now, and your first order of business shall be to sway the board's vote in my favor to make way for REVOCS' eventual corporate takeover. I am well aware of the influence you carry, being a fifth generation company man within your family's own organization. I wish to commend you for your dedication! I absolutely understand the importance of family tradition, I assure you! Such dedication will, of course, be generously rewarded...you shall truly reap the rewards of being one of my dedicated underlings. Immense wealth is but one of the many earthly benefits of such an arrangement! What do you say, hmm? Have we a deal? Shall we shake on it?"

Alex laughed out loud, a resounding outburst that assaulted Lady Ragyo's delicate and patrician eardrums in an entirely unpleasant manner. "Let me get this straight. You expect me to betray my family's legacy, just like that? To just...fork over the keys to my family's hard-earned kingdom because it would be _convenient_ for you? I don't give a fuck  who you think you are, this is not how business is conducted in _my_ world! You know what you can do with that fucking glove of yours, lady? You can shove it up your own incredibly fat _ass_ and shake hands with your motherfucking spleen, you goddamned bitch! We will never sell to the likes of you, you fucking disco dance floor reject! You hear me? NEVER!"

A sardonic chuckle made its way out from Ragyo's smirking, glittery lips. Her hand relaxed, the fist unfurling into what appeared to be the illusion of an earnest handshake gesture in front of him. He barely had enough time to focus upon the glove before it became an impossible blur, whipping out with the frightening speed of a fearsomely-maneuvered bullwhip.

His head uncontrollably quivering from the blow, the terrible **_*whap-ish*_** sound was still ringing in his ears as his rattled brain struggled to recognize what just happened. Fear suddenly flooded his being, cold facts now falling into place within his now-traumatized skull, much like snowflakes settling down upon a bloody battlefield.

 _'_ _That was just…a slap. An open-handed slap.'_

In all his years on this planet, the human known as Alexander Campion had never even once experienced such an immensely powerful blow. Not during his brief time as an amateur-turned-professional boxer in his youth, when his strict former-middleweight-champion father discovered what he was planning as a career…and convinced Alex to 'retire' early by showing him first-hand what a true professional's punch really felt like. Not during his stint in the Marines, his jaw crashing upon the ground during self-defense courses, fractured and wired shut for weeks afterwards. Not even during his horrific car accident six years ago, his Saab struck head-on by a drunk driver and his skull ricocheting off the window.

He had never experienced something as powerful as that which just struck him.

It was just a _slap_.

His jaw was shattered, once again. He felt the all-too-familiar grinding, blinding pain shooting down his neck, into his head. The woozy, dazed fog of a severe concussion was spreading, he dully noted as if from a great distance. Blood and drool pattered upon his tie, shirt and business slacks, as he was now unable to keep his mouth closed properly.

Ragyo's vaguely avian, predatory eyes drank in this delightful scene of misery, thoroughly enjoying this aspect of her own brand of interpersonal negotiations. She snapped her fingers twice in rapid succession. "Satsuki, dear? Come in here, now."

The door opened, and in stepped a young, slim and exceedingly attractive Japanese girl. She moved with efficient grace and purpose within an all-white business ensemble, and he could tell by her cadence that she was accustomed to the more rigorous aspects of life: she moved with the militaristic precision of a Marine drill sergeant during a parade. Her heels clacked smartly on the tile floor, coming to a halt just behind and to the side of Lady Ragyo, her long, flowing jet-black hair swaying gently with her movements.

She stood at rapt attention, in a disciplined fashion he hadn't witnessed since his days of basic training. Arms precisely folded behind her, with cold, calculating blue eyes that regarded his haggard, beaten frame with callous indifference. She stared at him behind an upturned nose, a deep frown upon her face as if he had somehow just run over her beloved puppy.

Ragyo's voice dripped with sultry venom. "Unfortunately, it would appear that Mr. Campion has rejected our generous offer. An enemy of REVOCS is an enemy of progress and must be dealt with accordingly. Wouldn't you agree, daughter?"

Satsuki regarded the man with a passive glare, her reproachful stare observing the man's poor state of affairs. She nodded once, dismissively. Alexander snorted, then spat in the general direction of the two looming figures.

"Whoth's thish, hah? Queen Bitfth Junior, eh? Wha', ith thith yer firtht 'bwing yuhr daughthew t' workh' day, yah… _foreighn chwomatic cunt_?" Chips of tooth enamel worked their way past his split lips, mixed in with a steady trickle of saliva and blood as he barked weakly at Ragyo.

"Foreign…ah, but you have no idea, little man. Perhaps 'alien' might be the more appropriate term here, but alas! We simply haven't the time to discuss such trivialities! Kiryuin Ragyo waits for no one! Now, since you have wasted _my_ own precious time, little man… your time is sadly at an end!"

She struck out again, this time with a lightning jackhammer fist that snapped his head back, instantly crushing the vertebra at the base of his skull into a haphazard jumble of bone shrapnel in the process. His head lolled back loosely, now as devoid of life as the rest of him.

The tall woman chuckled to herself, marveling at the inherent fragility of human life. "Now, my dearest Satsuki. I ask you: what have we learned today, hmm?"

"He was weak. He should have submitted."

"Indeed, you are most correct. Strength in submission…that is the Kiryuin way!"

Ragyo stripped off the glove, depositing it upon the table as though it were a used candy wrapper. She sniffed derisively as she meticulously examined her immaculate nails, making sure that the human's stubbornness hadn't caused her to chip anything truly important.

"Ah, and to think that I just wanted to get out a bit and flex my negotiation muscles, as it were. What a quaint notion. I really _must_ leave this sort of dirty work in the hands of my underlings! Yet I felt that such an important acquisition might have required my own personal, delicate touch. Ah, well. La vie est vraiment drôle, oui? Perhaps his successors will learn to properly acquiesce to the fate I have already cast for them?"

"Mmm. One would hope."

"Ah, indeed! Be a good girl and clean this up for me. Well, I'm off to the airport! I shall expect you home soon, dear daughter, once you are done with finalizing the arrangements here. Oh, and please do enjoy your time in New York City. It really is a lovely town, once you get past the rough edges!"

"Very well."

"Oh, yes. One more thing. I don't particularly care for the jasmine you are currently wearing, Satsuki. It's simple, yet too…quaint. I do insist that you at least make the attempt to indulge in a more complex scent, something more befitting your social station?"

"I have more important things to do than worry about my bodily _scent_ , Mother. I have an indomitable fortress to build."

"Ah yes, true. Well then, I shall take pleasure in your absolute productivity, if not your…absolute submission."

Ragyo strode away, taking her omnipresent, prismatic glare with her as she exited the room. With illumination now coming from just a single lamp, the office's oppressive atmosphere eased up just a bit, bringing it down to the overall level of a mundane, ordinary murder scene.

Satsuki stood there for a few moments, listening to make sure that her mother was indeed on her way out of the building. She waited patiently, her internal turmoil sending out not even the slightest ripple until her own two eyes confirmed the REVOCS helicopter streaking away from the tower's roof. Only when this aircraft had become a blinking light in the distance did she slowly release her breath.

Hissing out a steady stream of air, as though she were a tea kettle about to signal its boiling point, Satsuki turned her gaze to the beaten husk of the man before her. "You stupid, thoughtless pig. If you had only surrendered, capitulated to her whims…you would be going home to your family right now, all the richer for your efforts. What does your pride get you now, other than a grave?"

-Present Day-

"…no, I could not possibly forget my roots. No truly successful person ever could, if they were indeed actually cognizant of their own unshakeable resolve, the impetus of their success. Yes, of course…our personal history creates the framework that dictates the architecture of our future. Yes, you can quote me on that, certainly. Ah…' _Driven_ ' will be the title of this article? I agree, yes. I'm fine with that…yes, thank you for your praise, you are too kind. Oh, yes? Ah…th-thank you for that. My mother will indeed be…missed. Yes, it is truly tragic. Thank you for your kind thoughts. No, of course! I understand. Glad to be of service. Yes, please…do copy my assistant with that final draft, yes? Excellent. Then I shall conclude our call by saying that it has been an honor speaking with you. Truly, you have been most understanding of my position in all of this. I appreciate your efforts to take the time to get the story directly from me, in my own words! Ah, but of course! Yes, fare well."

Kiryuin Satsuki promptly ended the call on her cellphone, then unceremoniously dropped it to the desk with a loud clatter. Cradling her head with both hands, she stared idly at the large dossier of last-minute paperwork she still had to sign. ' _Hmm. Imagine that: an actual polite and professional reporter! Here I thought they were displaced long ago by tactless muckrakers. Ah, but it matters not in the long run. By the time that magazine article hits the newsstands, REVOCS will be but a thing of the past._ _The keiretsu shall tolerate its existence no longer, now that it is clear I shall not be employing_ _her_ _vicious methods of doing business.'_

The dossier detailed the impending court-ordered breakup of REVOCS Corporation and the splitting up of the company assets, as well as the renaming of the various units that were about to become autonomous: REVOCS North and South America, REVOCS Asia, REVOCS Pan-Europe, and Isshin Aerospace. Hōōmaru Rei would inherit control of the Asian group, and the rest would be scattered to the winds of fate. Satsuki had elected to stay on the board of directors for the aerospace venture, as Inumuta Hōka had personally requested it. His materials research had taken on a life of its own, and he wanted her to stay close, to share in the coming advancements her father's research was spurring on. She had, in a rare moment of sentimentality, named it after her estranged father, to reinforce the legitimacy of his alter ego's brilliant legacy…thusly also lending credence to Matoi Ryuko being unrelated to herself as well. It was better that way for everyone involved, in her esteemed opinion.

Purchases were already lined up for the rest, as corporations worldwide were salivating at the chance to snap up the various components of what was once the largest clothing and textiles company in the world. It was history in the making…and she couldn't have cared less. All that mattered now was for her to break ground on her personal project, the RECOVER Foundation: a non-profit home for the abused, a shelter for the violated. Not that ground had to actually be broken, of course, since the mansion would be serving as the primary headquarters for such a venture. Positive memories would eventually drown out the cacophony of ghosts within its haunted walls, of this she was certain.

Satsuki had plans for the future, big plans…and the proceeds of the corporate sale would be necessary to fund this idea of hers. Satsuki donned her reading glasses in order to power through the last of the document signing and stamping, flexing her right hand in preparation and musing internally to herself as she did.

 _'_ _None of this matters, not anymore. With this dissolution in place, I shall cast off the shackles that keep me chained to her legacy. The RECOVER Foundation will be all that matters to me now. This is not defeat! It is simply a change in tactics, that's all. This way, I will truly be able to help people. Yet it still feels like I'm surrendering, caving in to the pressure of…_ _no_ _. This is for the best. After all, it was not my company, but hers. Let it die a proper death, as she once did.'_

Completing this last part of her paperwork took up most of the morning. Hunger pangs subtly reminded her that food is indeed a required part of the human experience. Apparently a single banana wasn't enough for this former and future CEO to get through her day, but it was late enough to now consider making lunch.

Searching for her wayward sibling was surprisingly easy, as the kitchen was in fact where the notoriously late-rising Matoi Ryuko was found to be staking out her claim to a bowl of cereal. The exhausted teen was mechanically scooping bran flakes up with her spoon, not even bothering to open her eyes for the deed. If Satsuki didn't know better, she would have surmised that Ryuko had discovered the most boring cereal on the planet.

Ryuko had been acting quite depressed after her release from the hospital, and even though she knew more or less why, Satsuki was clueless as to how to go about cheering up the young girl. Satsuki thought back to her phone conversation the other day with Mankanshoku Mako, to find out how to lift Ryuko's heavy spirits from the renowned cheeriness expert herself. Mako's advice was dead simple in its complexity: "Aw, poor Ryuko-chan gets that way sometimes! Be extra silly to counter her grumpiness, it always worked for me!"

 _'_ _Okay. Be silly and light-hearted. Be cheerful. You can do this, Kiryuin...how hard can it be?'_ Satsuki carefully crept up behind the girl who was voted ' _Most Likely to be Forever Allergic to Mornings_ ' by…well, everyone who had ever met her. She gently placed her hand upon Ryuko's outstretched forearm on the kitchen table, praying that she didn't startle the sleepyhead too much. Ryuko didn't bat an eye, just grunted briefly to signal that the touch was noticed.

Satsuki's hand then transformed into a little dinosaur, her middle finger forming an inquisitive neck as she slowly sauntered the critter up to Ryuko's shoulder. The dinosaur nudged Ryuko's ear while gruffly demanding (in what Satsuki hoped was perceived as a 'cute' voice) "Hey, you there. Sleepy girl! Why are you eating this stuff?"

Ryuko turned her head towards the creature perched upon her shoulder, and one blue eye opened slightly and regarded it with a confused look. "… _th' fuck?_ Uh…because I'm hungry?"

"Yes, but the cereal box says 'full of fiber'?" The dinosaur poked Ryuko's neck playfully as it grunted out "I thought you were _already_ full of fibers?"

Ryuko's mouth opened, shocked and momentarily speechless from the surreal situation as it played out. "Uh, yeah…well I think 'Brontosaurus-sama' here better mind her own business…or I'll be having dino steaks for lunch."

Satsuki laughed gently, reaching out to give her grumpy sibling a loving hug. She pecked Ryuko on the cheek as she chided the young girl about her attitude. "Oh hush, you. You do that to me all the time, you and your silly roaming 'hands'. Turnabout is fair play, don't you think?"

"Ugh. Sats, I do that stupid playful shit on _purpose._ I'm not really _that_ childish. I do that to make you aware of my presence, to prevent you from being startled, since you just _love_ being approached from behind so much? In case ya didn't notice, I also whistle, hum, and make dumb, clumsy noises to announce my presence as much as I can…mostly because I have just barely enough dignity left in me to not actually wear a bell. Kiryuin Satsuki, you are the one person I do not _ever_ want to startle from behind, especially if that Bakuzan Gako tantō is within your reach, right? I don't need you turning me into a frickin' Pez dispenser!"

"Matoi, I _told_ you I was sorry for that! How many times do I need to apologize? I'll admit, sometimes I cannot control…that...especially if I'm approached from behind. You can be unnervingly stealthy at times, you know! My breathing, it involuntarily stops when that happens, I…hell, if only Sanageyama Uzu knew the truth of why it is virtually impossible to sneak up on me from behind? It was from me always dreading _her_ filthy touch, but I can't very well tell him that. I try very hard to not be that way, but…"

Ryuko's hand made its way to Satsuki's own, briefly squeezing a message of understanding. "I know, cutie. I get it. You don't hafta tell me. I do what I can to alleviate that, ya know. I know how it is. No worries, okay? I love you, and it's worth it to pay attention to the little details."

In general, Kiryuin Satsuki thought of herself as a particularly observant and meticulous individual. Yet occasionally something would escape her radar, and it was disorientating to discover such a blatantly obvious thing: that Ryuko had been very carefully modulating her own behavior to alleviate Satsuki's own nervous quirks and eccentricities. That she did this under the guise of goofy and sometimes shamelessly self-deprecating theatrics was part of the reason behind the easy dismissal of such odd antics, but apparently Ryuko did that to hide their true purpose, as well? The depth and breadth of this girl's considerate and sweet nature simply could not be estimated anymore, as it was obviously beyond Satsuki's realm of understanding or measure.

"I didn't know you went that far with…I had _no_ idea. Ryuko-san, I cannot tell you how-"

One hand raised up to prevent the Kiryuin's train of verbosity from gaining any more momentum. "Yeah, yeah. I'm all awesome and crap. Yer welcome. Lemme jus' get more 'fiber' in my system to feed my fibers. Aw, don't gimme that 'weaponized worry' look. I'm really sorry Sats, I don't mean to be so rude and snippy to ya, I'm just…really, really tired, that's all."

"Have you been staying up late, packing your belongings? We don't move out until next weekend, you know. Or is it that old guest bed you've been using? It isn't nearly as comfortable as my own, of course. In fact, we can arrange to have that guest bed moved to the new house, then you could perhaps join me tonight in the master bedroom once again for some quality-"

"No! Aw, heck. My stuff's all been packed up since a few days ago; I ain't got that much junk! No, I'm just…not sleeping well, that's all. Listen Satsuki-sama, lemme just work through some personal stuff, then we can sleep in the same bed together again, all right? I promise it won't take much longer. I just…I still don't feel like it's safe for ya to… _-ah-,_ ya know…be near me right now."

"Ryuko-chan, you were given a clean bill of health by everyone, Mikisugi included! I assure you, the autonomous mechanism behind the self-defense actions your life fibers displayed that awful night was purely situational, that of _extreme_ self-preservation! It cannot be triggered by something as mundane as a nightmare! We  both know this! So please stop holding it against yourself?! I-"

"Satsuki-sama, I will let you know when I feel it's safe. If it means anything to you, I m-miss you, too. Just lemme do this, okay? I gotta…I gotta be _certain_. I just need some time, is all."

They looked quietly at each other, the air between them rife with opportunity for more discourse…but it remained fallow of verbal resolutions. Neither girl had it in them to press the advantage of their respective issues; their nerves were simply too frazzled to push their luck. Satsuki sighed and bowed her head slightly, a clear signal that her impassioned logic was being sheathed for the time being.

"As you wish, Ryuko-san. Anyways, scoot on out of here for the time being. I'm going to be preparing lunch today. I know you just ate breakfast, but it's not my fault you're such a late riser! However, knowing your appetite, I'm sure you will be hungry for lunch by the time it is ready." Satsuki had been developing an enthusiasm for cooking as of late, the precisely cut ingredients and exacting preparation details satisfying her deep-seated need for control and organization in a most delectable and rewarding manner.

Ryuko shrugged, trudged over to the sink and plopped her bowl down, not even bothering to wash it out after use as per Satsuki's normally-strictly-enforced kitchen rules. "Fine, I'm takin' a shower. Holler when ya want me to eat with ya. I ain't goin' anywhere today." Satsuki watched Ryuko plod down the hallway, head down and shoulders stooped. It was a far cry from the actions of the proud, bouncy woman she knew so well.

She set herself upon the task of preparing lunch as she mentally pondered the plan to rescue her dear sister from the doldrums of crippling depression. It was a veritable Gordian knot of deeply tangled emotions that was confounding Satsuki here, but somehow she didn't think a sword would be the appropriate solution in this case.

 _'_ _Solving problems_ _without_ _a sword will be quite a challenge…here now is the opportunity to become the better person I need to be. I will find a way to free you from this, Ryuko-chan! I swear I will! But…how?'_ Looking down at her hand, she felt her grip tighten on the large, gleaming chef knife that she was currently wielding. _'Maslow was right. I suppose it is tempting…if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail…'_

* * *

Ryuko breathed in the steam from the shower as she stepped out, enjoying the feel of hot moisture on her lithe body. She would have to convince Satsuki to go with her to the beach sometime soon, since they hadn't yet gone that summer and the ocean always worked wonders for improving her foul mood. In fact, she hadn't actually even laid her eyes upon Kiryuin Satsuki in an actual bikini in public yet, since the one time they had made it to the beach, she was called away by some mysterious work-related emergency five minutes into their arrival. Well, that would have to change soon.

Reaching for a towel, she caught a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror. Ryuko stood there, taking in the image as it was presented to her. She sighed, frowning slightly as she regarded her tired facial features.

"I look like real crap, don't I? Man, those bags under my eyes…maybe I should grab some sleeping pills or something, I dunno. Maybe I should go back to sleeping with Satsuki, after all? Probably the main reason I can't sleep, anyways. But if I have another nightmare like I did last night around her, she could get hurt! Goddammit, why can't anything be easy?"

Standing up straight, she gave herself a critical assessment of her own physical features. "Still, I guess I ain't too bad to look at, in general. Eh. Feet are just feet fer kickin' ass, nothing special there. Hmm, I'm liking those calves, some real nice definition. Ugh, those knobby knees of yours could be better, Matoi…but I guess I can't do much about that. Thighs are juuuust a bit too thick. I should start running again or something. Ew, gotta trim the ol' jungle down there, too. Been way too long since anyone's been down there, myself included! God, hospitals are, like, the least sexy place in the entire world, even if the nurses there are sometimes super hot! Boy, I could really go fer a good ol' pearl polishing these days! Maybe that's what I need to cheer up, a little bit of horny time? Never met anyone who didn't feel better after cumming a few times. But hell no, not with _that_ scary bush in the way. Mmm, my hips are killer, though! Oh, yeah! I do have an awesome ass. That ass rocks! Shake-shake it baby, woo! Oh, wouldja look at that, those Dimples of Venus are so sexy, so glad I'm blessed with those babies! Hmm. That tummy's lookin' a bit too soft? Meh, I'll never be able to have abs of steel like Satsuki's, though. Way too much work, and ain't no one ever limiting _my_ ice cream intake! Lesse here…yep! Perfect boobs are still perfect! Perky? Check! Firm? Check! Nipples still _*ah!*_ ohmy _yes_. Still super sensitive! Ha-ha, ba-boing! Oh my, is it cold in here, or is it just me? Mmmm-hmm. Arms are lookin' pretty buff there, Matoi! That bike's engine ain't gonna lift itself when I pull it, now is it? Heh heh!"

Ryuko stepped closer, peering through the steamy reflection to squint at herself in greater detail. She posed in an exaggerated bodybuilder manner, granting her imaginary audience free tickets to the Matoi Gun Show, now in glistening progress. She growled, grunted and generally made the silliest poses possible while on her magnificent bathroom stage.

"Contestant Matoi Ryuko! I'd judge you to be an easy eight-point-five out of ten! You've certainly got it where it counts, you sexy…beast…" Ryuko's cheer evaporated instantly once her roaming eyes focused upon her own gear-like pupils staring back at her in the mirror. Her silly smile melted back to being an indeterminate mask of vapid dullness.

"Oh yeah… _that_. Nice eyes ya got there, mutant. Oh whoops, we forgot to tell you: this competition is for _humans only_." She wrapped the towel around her sopping hair, threw on her robe and made her way out of the bathroom. She paused at the mirror again as she reached for the light switch, looking intently at her own searching pupils, sullenly watching the intricate patterns shift as she focused upon them. After a few moments of grim consideration, Ryuko shrugged weakly. "I'll give you a three out of ten. Maybe you can just wear sunglasses for the rest of your life."

* * *

"Ryuko-san? Ah, there you are! Lunch has been ready for a while now. Here, I brought you a bowl. Are you hungry yet?" Ryuko looked up briefly from her motorcycle racing video game, shrugging as she nodded towards the coffee table in front of her. "Yeah. Sure, I guess. Sorry. Didn't hear you."

"Oh, is my voice losing the power of projection? I shall have to try harder in the future…that is, unless it's due to hearing loss from that metal music you like so much?" Satsuki quipped.

"Mmm…" was the only response elicited from the sullen youth. The beef yaki udon bowl was placed in front of her, which she eyed, but did not immediately pounce upon with great fury as was her usual custom.

Satsuki sat upon the couch a respectable distance away, not wanting to crowd out Ryuko's personal space. "Do you mind if I watch you play?"

"Nope."

The game was new, or at least Satsuki guessed that it was. She had not seen it before, but Ryuko had many games piled up that she had yet to even crack open, one of her shopping weaknesses being the inability to resist any type of video game sale.

"Not playing the usual, I see. Do you not feel like yelling at the 'newbies' today as you 'frag' them?"

Ryuko's dull expression flickered briefly, then went back to being lax. "No. First person shooters have kinda…lost their luster recently. That's all."

Satsuki nodded slowly, her tranquil pensiveness overwhelming her sudden desire to grab Ryuko and hug the hurt right out of her hide.

"That's understandable, to not want to be shot again, even in a simulation."

"I'm glad I was shot."

"Ryuko! Don't say such things!"

"If I hadn't been there at that moment, you would have been killed fer sure. I survived. You wouldn't have. End of story."

Satsuki had no answer for that. It was most likely true. Though Ryuko had come within a fiber's breadth of dying herself, Satsuki would have had absolutely no chance of living through such a grievous injury whatsoever. She looked down, smoothed her skirt over her knees and sighed quietly. This was a delicate situation, and she was not built with delicacy in mind. She imagined that this was what it must feel like, to be a civilian behind the controls of a jet airliner, the pilot unconscious next to her as she stared at the incredibly complex bank of knobs, switches and blinking lights.

"You _motherfucker_."

"- _what?_ "

"Fucker! Don't you even think of-No, you didn't! _No!_ No…aw, fuck, fuckity fuck! God _damn_ it!'

Ryuko gripped the game controller, her knuckles strained white with rage. The plastic groaned and complained as it struggled to not explode from the fury of one Matoi Ryuko: loser of this motorcycle tournament, yet again.

"Fuuuck. I think I mighta busted it." Ryuko shook the controller, and the rattle of loose plastic bits inside the housing confirmed her theory. She tried to pause the game, but the poor controller couldn't even do that. It then sailed across the room, landing just outside the trashcan in a final, defiant contribution towards Ryuko's latest losing streak.

"Yeah, fuck you, too." Ryuko snarled, veins bulging out of her forehead as teeth ground together with a horrid nails-on-chalkboard sort of noise.

"Well, now what? You broke your controller." Satsuki dryly observed, not wanting to puncture this hydrogen balloon with a lit match, while also being entirely unable to let such unsavory behavior go unnoticed.

"- _Pfft_ -Oh, like _this_ hasn't happened before." Ryuko got up, trotted over to the closet and opened it, whereupon she reached into a large box and drew out another controller, still in the retail packaging. She then plopped back onto the couch, staring idly at the screen as the last of the straggling motorcycles crossed the finish line.

Eyes closed, Ryuko then mumbled something under her breath as she sank her head back into the couch in solemn defeat. Whatever it was, it was a declarative statement rather than another epithet, but it was too quiet to be heard. Satsuki cleared her throat, then primly asked "What was that? I'm afraid that I didn't quite catch that, dear."

A tear slowly rolled out from under Ryuko's eye, a fat, heavy drop of frustration and regret. She sniffled, then opened her eyes and rolled them over to her elder sibling. "I need your _help_."

"How? You want I should obtain a larger trashcan, perhaps?"

Ryuko snorted in spite of herself. Wiping away the errant tear, she weakly punched Satsuki's shoulder. "Quit joking, I'm serious. I need you to teach me how to be less angry. You're, like, the eye of 'Tropical Cyclone Matoi', you know that? Well okay, maybe 'Tropical Depression' might be more accurate here, right? But still…I can't handle this rage anymore. I'm so afraid of lashing out, of hurting you or someone else I love. But…I'm as busted as that damned controller. My kind of power shouldn't be in the hands of a person like me, but unless they come up with a ' _Life Fibers - Begone!_ ' medication, well…"

"Ryuko-san…I will assist you any way I can, you know this. However, I haven't the foggiest idea of how I could possibly accomplish this feat? You haven't been the most, shall we say, _receptive_ individual when it comes to personal criticism, and I'm not sure I am the best candidate for-"

"Oh, please! You are the very _definition_ of control! Look, it's one thing to have the ability to do something, but to have an actual working knowledge of the _why_ and the _how_ is…it's beyond me, okay? Satsuki-sama, you have this deep understanding of things, you are the smartest person I've ever known! I just know you can impart some keen wisdom upon me, make me see the error of my ways! If not you, then who? Really, no one else has the kind of patience you have, especially with _my_ delinquent ass? Right?"

"I don't know if 'patience' is the proper term. I've been known to have quite the temper myself, in certain situations. No, I have had the resolve to accomplish my life's goals, even if I haven't been very nice about it. Compassion, now that is truly my weakness! Can you teach me that, then? Would _this_ be an easy task, Matoi Ryuko?"

"I…I'd find a way."

"I'm not sure how I can impart some 'deep wisdom' upon you. What makes you so certain that I have a deeper understanding of things than you? You are no fool, Matoi…even though you are the dictionary definition of 'impetuous', you're not dumb by any means!"

"Ah, no, no. Ya see, I'm the dictionary definition of 'cool'. You should look that up!"

"Oh, heavens no, dear. I did do that, but I spied your picture next to the entry for 'cocky', and looked no further!"

Ryuko pouted, her butt now thoroughly whipped by the caustic wit of Kiryuin Satsuki. She stood up suddenly, grabbing Satsuki's hand and tugging her towards the door with great urgency. "Come with me, I gotta show you something!"

"O-okay? Where are we going?"

"To my practice space. Come on, it's important!"

They made their way through the labyrinthian mess of moving boxes to the room above the garage…the lair where few dared to tread. Satsuki eyed the somewhat imposing stack of guitar amplifiers, preamps and assorted floor pedals with great caution. The one time she had been here before, she discovered that one's molars could possibly be loosened with a single, blisteringly loud Black Sabbath riff, and vowed to never return. This harrowing incident was quickly followed by the immediate ratification of the ' _Kiryuin-Matoi Noise Ordinance Treaty_ ', which specified exactly when Ryuko was allowed to produce such noise (only when Satsuki was ten kilometers away or more, upon pain of subsequent musical equipment immolation).

"Oh, no. Are you…turning it on?" Satsuki whined through wincing teeth, ears already plugged with quivering fingertips. Ryuko chuckled at such bravado.

"Relax, you big wuss. It's already on. Look, the volume is below one, see?" At this, she strummed a chord, to prove that the volume was at a most tolerable level. Satsuki relaxed her defensive posture, deciding to hear her sister out for the time being. Arms now crossed, she nodded to the amplifiers.

"Why can't you just play at that volume all the time? Then I wouldn't have to be so mindful of your playing." Ryuko flashed a pearly, wiseass smirk. "I do. It's just way more fun to be super loud!"

"What, recently? I thought you only played at Godzilla levels of volume? You haven't notified me of this, or asked about my whereabouts for a while?"

"Sure! I played yesterday morning like this."

"Yesterday? I was _here_ yesterday morning, preparing for our moving arrangements. Did you forget that I wasn't working that morning?"

"I…well, yeah, but…but you didn't even notice!"

"Very well. Where's my lighter? I'll be right back."

"No! I was using my headphones, all right? Jeez! I was kidding! You need to relax! I obeyed the letter of the law…and the spirit of it, too! You heard _nothing_!"

"Don't test me, Matoi. I'll do it."

"Yeah, I believe ya. Now relax, all right? I just wanted to show you an example of what I meant."

The black-shocked punk, red strands of hair bobbing as she spoke, lectured her sister as the guitar pick weaved and danced through the air to illustrate her train of thought.

"Now here's why I need you to teach me about meditating or something similar. I'm trying to get my anger under control. It's getting in the way of just about everything I do. Hell, I almost broke this guitar recently…and I love this baby! It's so frustrating to know that my life fibers grant me enhanced ability, but not understanding. I can't write music, I can't understand music theory. I can imitate, but I can't create. Believe me, Nonon has tried to teach me…in fact, I think she left the country just to get away from my bitching! I'm just not good at book-learning-type stuff, ya know? I never learned _how_ to learn, I guess I was too busy learning how to defend myself or whatever. Here, listen to this."

Ryuko played a quick solo, her fingers flowing over the fretboard with practiced grace and precise control. Her body dipped and swayed as she wrenched out furious, blazing notes with frenzied strokes of her pick. Ending with some technically impressive arpeggio sweeps, she then brought it to a sudden halt, the reverb's echo ringing through the amps. "Ya see, Sats? This is just jerking off."

Eyebrows furrowed with slight confusion, Satsuki pointedly asked "What band wrote a song with such a vulgar title?"

Ryuko laughed out loud, the notion tickling her brain in a most unexpected fashion. "Ha ha haaa! Oh, that's priceless! No, no…- _heh heh!_ \- it's just… _*snort!*_ …I meant that it was just pointless noodling and wheedling around, all right? Just an example of how I can do intricate crap like that, but I don't really get the theory behind it. Like, I don't even know what _key_ that was in. That's all!"

Satsuki sniffed, then casually noted "Well, it certainly sounds like the title of something a band you'd like would have written."

"Maybe, but the point is that I get so mad that I don't have the patience to learn stuff the proper way…well…'Little Miss Anger Management Issues' here takes over. And the results ain't pretty. Shit, I even bent the fork of my motorcycle when someone cut me off in traffic the other day. Dammit, I need help with my temper, Satsuki! Can't you think of anything I can do? I need to learn to be this calm 'Zen master' like you are, like when you shoot a bow? Hey, how about you teach me that, huh? I tried it once, with that old practice bow of yours? It's really hard! I couldn't hit shit with that thing. I bet if you could teach me how to do that, I'd find a nice bit of Zen in me, right?"

The Kiryuin youth's eyes drifted away, focusing upon an imaginary point many yards and also many years away. "Ah…to learn kyūdō is no easy task. I'm not sure that is the proper place to start. I would have…misgivings about that, Ryuko."

"But Satsuki-sama…you're like this supreme master of archery? You said that's how you learned to focus? I remember you saying that to me! So why can't I learn the same way? I need to learn that kind of focus!"

Satsuki turned sad, haunted eyes towards her upset sibling, her spirit being embroiled in its own vicious turmoil, but a safety control mechanism forged long ago was keeping that poisonous furor locked away in the proper place.

A quiet murmur was heard above the ever-present hiss of amplifiers. "A bow is just an instrument of murder to me now, Ryuko. I have taken the lives of innocent people with one, misused my talents in the very worst of ways. The bow is only good for killing in my mind, I can't see past that now. I'm sorry."

Ryuko turned off the amps, then mechanically plunked her guitar into its floor stand. Eyes cast to the ground, she slowly walked over to stand before her sister. One hand resting upon Satsuki's shoulder, she drew in a slow breath that caught upon a hitch, then another. By the time Ryuko managed to drag her eyes up to meet Satsuki's own delicate orbs, she was openly weeping.

"S-so, what yer sayin' here is…that a w-weapon can't ever be used for anything but that, right? That it can only look forward to a lifetime of killing and destruction, yeah? To hell with ' _Swords to Plowshares'_ , right? There's no hope? E-even if it's a-even if she's a…l-living weapon?"

A quiet gasp escaped from Satsuki's tense throat. She was caught dead to philosophical rights, and she knew it. All this talk, this bluster of trying to change her ways…it meant nothing if it didn't equally apply to others that were affected by her holy war as well.

"R-Ryuko-san! I didn't mean to imply…I…you…you're _right_. I have been selfish in my ways. I cannot only think of myself in times like these. I…I shall teach you. You have my word."

A smile broke out across Ryuko's troubled face, a shimmering beacon of light on an otherwise stormy day. "You…will? Really? A-are ya sure?" She sniffled, then choked, profuse amounts of thanks and earnest praise getting caught up in a traffic jam within her swelling chest.

Satsuki reached out and quickly enclosed Ryuko in a warm, tender embrace. "Of course, my dear love. I shall not deny you the opportunity to better yourself. I will find a way to heal you, regardless of the personal cost."

"Heal us, you mean."

"Y-yes, of course. I shall have to find a way to cope with my own…vicious past, won't I?"

"Yeah, _we_ will. Thanks, Satsuki-sensei. This means a lot to me."

"Oh, my. Sensei, you say? You'll find that I am not a pushover like Mikisugi, dear. I will be most demanding of you. This will be both a spiritual and a mental challenge!"

"I was hoping so. I'll be learning from the best!"

"We shall see. Come. Our first lesson awaits. We can talk in the garden while we discuss such things."

"Really? Now?"

"Certainly. I'll need to explain some concepts to you, such as the 'archer's paradox'."

"Ooh, should I go grab the bow? I even cleaned it for you, I looked up how to do it properly and everything! I can show you, come and see!"

"No, we won't be touching it for a while. I'll need to prepare you for such an undertaking by purging you of some basic archery misinformation which I'm sure has built up in your mind. Come, walk with me. Now you see, the phrase' straight as an arrow' is something of a misnomer. Arrows are not actually 'straight' in their flight path, per se: the force of leaving the string causes the shaft to wobble, to curve _around_ the bow as it is launched through the air, like this, see? The exact amount of this flex is called 'dynamic spine'. This is why you don't aim directly for the target with the arrow, as this wobbling will throw off the arrow's path and cause you to miss. An archer must know the exact parameters of what they are using, in order to gain the desired results. It calls for one to be intimately familiar with their tools…to be able to compensate for all known issues and be remarkably precise as a result. So you need not wonder any longer how I could have possibly anticipated exactly how my soldiers would perform in battle, yes? I knew of their prowess even better than _they_ did."

"Oi, and ya gotta have a 'spine' to have real resolve, right?"

"Ah yes, I suppose that is true. Know your limits, yet always strive to exceed them! This is what I hope to instill within you, in due time. Now, modern compound bows don't have this aiming issue. Rather, they have the shaft go straight _through_ the center of the bow, via a central cutout. You, of course, will not have access to the wonders of these modern materials and conveniences. I'd consider that to be cheating! No, you will learn the old-fashioned way…the way I learned. After all, it's not the bow we need to improve…but the mind that wields it, correct?"

"Yeah!"

"Yes…what?"

"Um…yes, Sensei."

"Now you see, Ryuko-chan? You are already learning!"

* * *

"Heyyyy, Satsuki-sama! What'cha doin', huh?" Ryuko chirped merrily as she strode into Satsuki's study, arms akimbo as she bounced energetically upon her heels with excitement before the massive desk.

Satsuki looked up over antique reading glasses, slightly surprised at the time that was now displayed upon the ornamental wall clock. "Oh! I am so terribly sorry, Ryuko-san! I let myself get wrapped up in this proposal. Here, let me finish up with saving this one file…"

"Yeah, yeah…duty calls and all that. But this afternoon, yer mine, all mine! You-"

"- _promised_ , yes I know, Ryuko. I apologize, truly. Here now, all done. I'll have to catch up with this early on Monday, I fear…but, for now? I am, as you say, 'yours' for this afternoon. Where did you decide upon for our day out together? I hope it's not another day of being cooped up inside for video games? It's a lovely day outside."

"Oh no, we're going all out…to the beach!"

"Ah, the beach, you say? Er…well, I...is anyone else going, perchance?"

"Nope. Everyone else is busy. Dumbass Uzu broke his toe in a recent match, and he said that he 'can't be seen being so 'weak' in public, it'll interfere with the invincible combat aura he emanates' or whatever…that perfect idiot! Nonon's not back in the country until next week, of course, and Inumuta said that the beach I chose has 'terrible Wi-Fi', so he passed on the opportunity to hang with us hot chicks! What a jerkwad, right? Like, seriously…life priorities?"

"I see. And what of Mako and Ira? Shall they be joining us, or…?"

"Oh, they have…uh, plans today…other plans."

"Yes? What plans are those?"

Ryuko's lips pursed together tightly. She rocked back and forth upon her heels, swaying back and forth in an effort to control her giddy self. So far, that plan wasn't working out…her wild grin was betraying her pathetic attempts at self-control.

"Um…you don't want to know. They're just…busy. Let's leave it at that."

"Why? Is everything all right? Are they experiencing some sort of difficulties? There seems to be something you don't want to tell me. What is it, Matoi? What's the matter?"

"I…can't tell ya. You don't want to hear it."

"Well, _now_ I do. I insist that you tell me! I'll worry about them all day if you don't come clean right this instant!"

"Are ya sure? You ain't gonna appreciate the answer."

"I'm a big girl, Matoi. I can handle it. Now tell me, what is going on with them?"

Ryuko sighed, steeling herself to get through her next statement without completely losing her already-tenuous composure. She slyly leaned against the doorframe, a lustful glare now upon her impish mug. She allowed her shirt to drop down from one shoulder as an utterly absurd pose of silliness was presented, acting skills pushed to their absurd limits as she swiped one hand dramatically through her hair.

"They are going to a different beach. A… _NUUUUUDISSSST BEACCCHHH_!"

Satsuki's face took on a placid, tranquil expression. Much like a parent suffering cheerfully through their child's horrendous grade school recital, she accepted this ridiculous debacle as it played out in front of her with commendable grace and demure calmness. She carefully took her reading glasses off, folded them and placed them neatly upon the desk.

"Oh, my. Ryuko, you do that all too well. I don't recall you being trained so rigorously in the ways of that group. Are your nipples shining a bright magenta right now, by any chance?"

"Ah, lemme see here…hmm…nnnnope! Just the usual 'perky pink perfection' they always are! Why, ya wanna come check, eh?"

"Not right now, no. So, are you being serious here, in your message if not in your atrocious attempts at acting? Are they really doing…that?"

Ryuko guffawed loudly, mirth tickling her in sensitive, private places. "I warned you, but ya didn't listen! Yeah, they really _are_ doing that! It's totally Mako's idea, she's doing it to 'teach Gamagōri-senpai a lesson in humility'…and those are  her words, not mine. I guess the big guy rubbed her the wrong way or something, and now he has to endure her wrath at some fancy 'couples-only, clothing-optional' beach? I don't know the exaaact details of that, but once Mako gets an idea in her head? It's all over for everyone involved!"

Satsuki stroked her jaw, trying to imagine Ira's embarrassment overwhelming him more than the threat of her own sword at Rinne-Dō Junior High ever could. ' _Well now. There's no shield that can possibly save you_ _there_ _, old friend…I can only wish you the best of luck!_ ' she mused wryly, almost wishing she could witness the outcome of such a titanic struggle.

"Very well, Matoi. We shall go to the beach. Give me some time to prepare, I should be ready to go in about forty-five minutes or so."

"What? That long? Come on, just grab yer towel and we can head over there right now!"

"Well, if we must go to the beach, I'll absolutely need to locate my SPF 70 sunblock, my best blue one-piece swimsuit, my largest sun hat, my podiatrist-recommended sandals, my heavy-duty beach umbrella, my favorite zero-gravity chair, my darkest sunglasses, my longest cotton sundress, my-"

"You don't need all that crap, Sats! Come _on_ already, just grab yer damned swimsuit, you stick-in-the-mud! Let's go!"

Satsuki scoffed. "It's not like I am going there to _swim_ , my dearest imouto-san. The ocean itself is quite disgusting! No, the ocean is for relaxing and resting near, and perhaps for getting some nice, fresh sea air. That's all."

"Whaa-aaat?" Ryuko's mouth hung open, disappointment tinging her sad, upturned face. "No…no water sports? No splashing, no playing around at all?" Her highly anticipated hopes of performing the infamous 'Jaws' routine upon her unsuspecting sister were evaporating before her very eyes, not to mention her fearsome ' _Atomic Underwater Kancho Attack'_ (アトミック水中カンチョー攻撃)she was planning to unleash, if she saw the opportunity.

"Not with _me_ , no. Sorry, but that is how I feel about the ocean, end of story. Do not seek to guilt me into going into the water, either! If I wanted to swim in the water, the pool is where I would go! It is a properly controlled, and most importantly, _clean_ environment for my precious body! Do what you will with _yours_ , Matoi...I need to look after my own mortal shell with the greatest of care!"

"All right, ya spoilsport. Besides, you could stand to get a tan anyways..."

"Surely you jest? What, Lady Kiryuin Satsuki…get a _tan_? Why, so I can be mistaken for a common farmer? This skin, sweet love, is the purest example of pale aristocracy! I take great pains to cover it up, and protect it from the sun's damaging rays. Skin cancer is a very real risk these days, Ryuko! You should think of this while you are cavorting about in the surf! In fact, now that I think of it, I'll be applying sunblock quite liberally to _your_ skin once we get there!"

"You just stay the hell away from me with that goop, Kiryuin! I want a nice tan for the summer! You haven't even been there with me _once_ this year, so you owe me a nice, beautiful beach day! So suck it up, Princess Alabaster Ass!"

"I will meet you at the front of the house, you churlish creature…go and wait for me there. I shall be down shortly."

"Yes, your Royal Meanness! _Mnyeaghh_!" Ryuko spat out, one finger pulling down her eyelid in a textbook example of the akanbe she so frequently deployed towards her rivals.

"Rrrrr-I'll give you a ' _red eye_ ', you disrespectful little…!" Satsuki snarled emphatically, but it was too late: Ryuko had already darted away to collect her things for the trip. "Hmph. Oh, you're getting sunblock for certain, now. I won't be warming it up either, you little brat!" she grumbled, stalking her way through the house to gather her own mountain of sun-defying accoutrements.

* * *

"Come on, Satsuki! Quit stallin' in there! The beach is waitiiiing!"

"Ah, Ryuko? I seem to be having a wardrobe issue. My bag doesn't seem to have my swimwear in it. I believe it might be yours, though. Do you own a yellow two-piece bikini, perchance?"

"No, but _you_ do… now."

"What? Where is my one piece? This scrap of cloth would barely cover my…MATOI! DID YOU _PLAN_ THIS?"

"Oh, suck it up. You are the hottest woman here, and it's time you showed everyone that glorious fact!"

"I will not be seen in public with this…microscopic…atrocity adorning my body! Even Nudist Beach's silly 'uniform' had more fabric than _this_!"

"Oh, so you're afraid, then? _The fact that society's values shame you only shows how small-time you are!_ "

"* _gasp_ * How _dare_ you use my own words against me! This is…different! I'm… _fine_. You know what? You shall live to regret this, Matoi."

"Whatever. Get out here, your Royal Hotness!"

"Rrr…if it means defeating you at your own game…I, Kiryuin Satsuki, will show neither shame nor hesitation, even if she wears a tiny bikini for all the world to see! My actions are utterly pure!"

The changing room door flew open, and an incredibly brilliant white light filled the eyes of all those in the immediate area as she stepped into the sun's direct rays. Matoi Ryuko, her eyes being regretfully uncovered by sunglasses at that exact moment, had the overwhelmingly vivid afterimage of Kiryuin Satsuki's glowing white aura burned into her retinas.

Prismatic stars filled poor Ryuko's vision, her eyes now rendered pitifully useless against such a devastating _'Pale Skin Visual Assault'_ (青白い肌視覚暴行), expertly wielded by one Kiryuin Satsuki. Ryuko stumbled about comically, arms splayed out in front of her as she waved them around for fears of stumbling into any stationary objects.

"Wha-what just happened? I can still see the outline of yer smokin' hot body…I think you actually blinded me? Satsuki, help me out here, will ya? Sats?"

"Of course, dear. Now stay still…" Satsuki crooned as a cold jet of SPF 70 sunblock flew through the air, splattering Ryuko's sun-sizzled back with the creamy, frigid substance. The girl screeched, now hopping mad with sheer indignance. Goosebumps rippled over her flesh as the youth covered up her ample breasts, for fear of exposing suddenly-super-erect nipples that now threatened to cut right through her own bikini top.

"AAaaaaRRRrrGGgghhh! KIRYUIIIIN SATSUKIIII! I'm gonna KILL youuuu!"

"Consider that payback for what you just did, 'Yuko!"

"Eh? Yuko, is that my new nickname?" she spluttered as she tried in vain to zero in on her darling companion's voice.

"No, that should probably be my little 'Pearl'."

"Huh? Why's that?"

Well, much like you, they are formed primarily through _constant irritation_!"

"Aw, yer so frickin' sentimental!"

"Whereas you are just… _mental_."

"Ha, ha. Now come clean this junk offa me!"

"Wipe away your own sunblock, Matoi."

Satsuki stood there just out of reach, smugly savoring both the spectacle of Ryuko's jiggling breasts and her own flawless victory, when her phone vibrated in her purse. Sighing, she squinted to see what the message might be about. The text was from Inumuta, and the message was brief.

 _'_ _We need to talk. It's urgent.'_


	11. - Conquer -

\- Conquer -

Ryuko was lounging around in the garage late one afternoon, hiding in her old favorite 'responsibility avoidance refuge shelter', a.k.a. a recessed spot behind the top shelf of the garage cabinets. It was something of an architectural optical illusion, how the rear wall was set further back than it appeared, and one would never think to check up there for a certain missing delinquent unless they had recently used a ladder to replace some light bulbs like she had one day. Shirking her laundry duties could go on for a little while longer: she had arrived back home from shopping earlier than expected, and she didn't quite feel like laying into that imposing mound of dirty clothes just yet. A secretly stashed pillow, a huge bag of sour gummy worms and a muted smartphone was all she needed to haunt the garage as 'Matoi, The Incredible Duty Dodger'.

All of Satsuki's talk about 'personal responsibility' principles could be tiring, Ryuko decided. Why didn't Sats just keep the mansion's full staff if she was going to force her to do all her own work? Sure, having a zillion staff around to humor Ragyo's every whim was arrogance personified…but we couldn't keep even one? Sure, Soroi still tends to her needs as a personal assistant, but he can't do it all. A dedicated laundry squad would have been nice, at any rate. Cooking is fun, true…but doing laundry truly _blows_. Ryuko mentally weighed the options of hiring someone to secretly come in when Satsuki wasn't around versus her sister finding out in the meantime. Could she get away with it, and for how long…?

The abrupt sound of glass shattering from somewhere within the house snapped her out of lazy mode. She hurtled herself down and through the inside garage entrance in a blur, frantically zipping down the hallway in an effort to locate the source of the noise. Ryuko was about to start calling out in an effort to locate Satsuki when she came upon her, standing in the kitchen and calmly staring at the floor.

"Oi, what happened? You all right, sis?" Ryuko blurted out, startling the elder Kiryuin out of her pensive floor gazing. A fraction of a second was spent noting the current time via the wall clock before Satsuki slid back into her quiet pool of reflection.

"You're home early, I see. Strange that I did not hear you arrive? Don't mind me, I just dropped a plate. That's all this is."

Ryuko surveyed the scene. Broken parts of a dinner plate were strewn about on the kitchen floor, and Satsuki was just standing there, numbly examining the wreckage at her feet. Something about this scenario was odd, Ryuko noted…but what?

"Yeah, okay. As long as you weren't hurt. Here, let me help with that, then. I'll just-"

"No. Don't."

"What? I ain't gonna just leave this mess here, it's dangerous! I'll grab a broom and-"

"No. Wait, please. I…"

"Satsuki? Are you all right? You're actin' kinda weird…is something going on here I need to know about?"

"It's all right, Ryuko-san. Everything is all right. I…I dropped it on purpose."

"Uh…you what? On _purpose_? Yeah, right! Why the hell would you do such a very un-Satsuki-like thing like that, huh?"

"Ah yes, that's exactly it. You see, I was merely bringing the breakfast plate you ever so thoughtfully left in the den this morning to the kitchen sink. I was coming around the corner here when I slipped. I almost dropped this plate, but then I was able to properly recover from falling. But what bothered me was the train of thoughts that went through my head while it was happening..."

Ryuko crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe, waiting for the wisdom bomb to drop. She lingered in silence for a moment, to grant the proper opportunity to let the story continue. But when Satsuki didn't speak again right away, she gently prodded her sibling on by reaching out and squeezing a shoulder. Satsuki dreamily blinked, then quickly snapped her gaze up to meet Ryuko's increasingly concerned look.

"Oh! Sorry, I was lost in thought. This is quite profound for me, I assure you! Ah, so where was I? Oh, yes. It was the usual litany of internal dialogue I endure when something like this happens. ' _Don't you dare fail, Kiryuin! To fail at this is unforgivable!_ ' But then I had another thought answer back: ' _Why_ '? I mean, it's just a plate, and not even a particularly expensive one at that. Yet here I was, automatically admonishing myself so very harshly for…for something like this? I just realized that I am so damned sick of always reacting in such a brutal and unforgiving manner. So, on a whim I just…let go of it anyways. And as it fell, my mind was of course _screaming_ at me for allowing such a disaster to strike on my watch! But as I was observing this play out, I felt that perhaps another way of thinking was making itself known to me. An epiphany of sorts, I suppose."

Ryuko playfully cocked her head, a quizzical expression falling over her features. "Well? Don't just keep me in suspense…?"

Satsuki looked up just then, the trace of a smile appearing upon her lips. She gestured, palms up, at the former plate's corpse. "I thought that perhaps it's okay to occasionally…fail. Perfection is just an abstract ideal, and not a realistic or attainable one, either. It's impossible to achieve it in all practicality, and that I perhaps need to just relax and focus on what is truly important. Bad things happen, it's a fact of life. It can happen, just like that. Anything can, really! It's how you _react_ to it that matters! And if there's one thing I've managed to learn in my life recently, it's that steel shatters while under severe stress. I simply cannot afford to live my life that way anymore, Ryuko-san."

Ryuko slowly nodded, somewhat cautiously agreeing with her totally-not-weird-at-all sibling. "Yeah, I'd agree with ya on that. You do really need to learn how to chill out! Hey, ya know…you look a little beat. You feelin' okay? You've been puttin' in a lot of time with arranging the move and stuff. I'm a bit worried about you right now."

Satsuki shrugged, then illuminated Ryuko's face with a bright smile of her own. "I'm fine, really. I have been both looking forward to and also dreading this move. Ryuko, I'm looking forward to a new beginning, a new chapter in our lives. A change in scenery will most certainly facilitate this, surely! And yet, the memories...they leap out at me when I'm not expecting them. It has kept me off balance, I suppose. Could things have possibly turned out better? Surely. Yet we must deal with things as they are, not as we wished them to be. So yes, I'll need to learn how to 'chill out', as you say. It's time I learned, I believe. You are willing to assist with this 'chilling', I assume? I have your blessing, oh self-proclaimed 'Chill Master'?"

Ryuko smirked a devilish grin, her mind working overtime on devising fun and hilarious ways to loosen up her dour sister's attitude. Karaoke? Paintball? Oh, the possibilities were endless. "Hmmm, yeah. But you'll have to trust me if we're gonna work on that."

"Of course. I trust you implicitly! Thank you, Ryuko. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your patience!" Satsuki briefly closed her eyes as she nodded her head towards her sibling in deference to her innate coolness.

Ryuko scratched her chin as she looked up to the ceiling in open-mouthed amazement. "Uh…I don't think I've ever actually heard _that_ statement before, especially towards me! Wow, what is the world coming to?"

Satsuki smiled in spite of herself. "Ah, well now. It is but one of the many things I need to learn to recognize, that I must thank people more for their presence in my life, both past and present. Tonight I shall be starting with you…in my own way. But for now, I have a late afternoon appointment at work with Inumuta Hōka. He has something quite urgent to discuss, and he would not go into the details over the phone. I shall rendezvous with you later this evening for dinner, say at about eight o'clock? Agreed?"

"Yeah, that sounds cool. I'll be there with my Sunday best on!"

"Oh, do show up wearing less than that, Ryuko-chan…I'll text you once I am on my way home. You may return to your laundry avoidance crevice for the time being, dear heart."

"Urk! Uh…right, nee-san… _*sigh*_ "

* * *

"As you know, we have mounted several diving expeditions at the former site of Honnōji Academy. So far, we have unearthed a vast amount of resources and data. We've been searching for more life fiber samples for some of our more destructive analytical experiments, since Matoi-san simply cannot provide enough viable product on that sort of scale. In this, we have been successful! Iori-san had been thorough enough to seal away a large cache of inert samples during the later stages of his Goku uniform refinements, and this discovery will give us more than enough testing material to move on to our next phase of development!"

Excitedly motioning his laser pointer upon the digital smart board that filled one entire wall of his office, Isshin Aerospace Inc.'s Chief Research Engineer Inumuta Hōka highlighted the relevant information as it scrolled by during his meticulously laid out presentation. This was routine, as he presented his team's monthly findings to his CEO, and said company officer was growing impatient at this somewhat mundane display.

Arms crossed and with one foot idly tapping, Satsuki bore an inquisitive gaze into his blue-tinted lenses as she stood next to him before the enormous screen. "This was expected, Inumuta-san. Surely this is not urgent though, is it? Was there some sort of unexpected trouble, then? You sounded more distressed over the phone, surely it cannot be over these scraps of data?"

Hōka's collar swept open as he sought to confidently soothe her concerns. Once he left the familiar territory of cold, hard data and delved into more emotional waters, however? He was praying to be a bit more creative with his situational awareness skills when he got to that point. Dealing with people on a personal level like this was something of a challenge for Inumuta Hōka, and he was simply not very good at wielding things like empathy or concern in a very effective or believable manner.

"Ah, yes. Perceptive as always, Kiryuin-sama! No, the expeditions went well. It's just that we may have found more than we bargained for under the surface of Tokyo Bay. Perhaps I shall start with the details that are easiest to handle, and work from there. So, on that note…please observe."

He flashed the screen over to another picture: that of a familiar, crimson blade resting upon a soaking wet tarpaulin that was laid out on their research vessel's deck. It gleamed with the sheen of just-manufactured metal, seaweed and other detritus clinging to the elegantly curved handle. Satsuki's eyes widened, immediately recognizing the scissor sword half that once took her own father's life.

"How surprising! I must say, it looks no worse for the wear, given all that it went through. Did you perhaps locate the other half as well? Surely it must be in the general area?" Inumuta blinked nervously, expecting to provoke a somewhat more troublesome reaction than this.

"Ah, well…no. Not yet, although I will admit we weren't looking for them, either. It was discovered purely by chance, as one of the undersea roving units brought it up due to the life fiber material signal frequency it detected. Should I make it a priority, then? I can add it to the list for the last expedition, slated for next week. I can even bump the priority to the very top if you like, although I must warn you that this may necessitate further dives to gather the final equipment we need."

Satsuki dismissed the idea with a relaxed wave. "No, it certainly has no real importance, not compared to the other items we require. Still…perhaps Ryuko might want to have them back, once again. Or would it bring back unwanted memories…? Hmm, I wonder if it is a good idea, after all."

Hōka adjusted his glasses, the mumbled sheepishly "Please forgive me, Lady Satsuki. I thought it might possibly upset _you_. It was foolish of me to think this might disturb your legendary focus!"

Satsuki whirled her head around, shiny, black feathers of hair settling down upon her shoulders as she smiled warmly at him. "No, I truly appreciate your thoughtfulness. I can see why you might think along such lines. It might potentially bother Ryuko on some level, but I doubt even that, really. She is an unusually tough woman, after all! Thank you for your consideration in this matter, Hōka-san."

He bowed, excited at the prospect of his next query being answered to the affirmative. "Of course, Satsuki-sama! If you believe that Ryuko-san would not be upset by this, then I would ask a favor of you, if at all possible. I'd like to formally inquire that she assist us with her innate command of shrinking and enlarging this sword. My team would appreciate the opportunity to learn the mechanism behind this reshaping, as it would be immensely helpful to our research! Could you ask her, when you find the time to discuss this discovery with her?"

"Indeed I shall! I foresee no issue with this, personally. I am certain Ryuko will assist you in any way she can. So tell me, Inumuta-san: might this be all we needed to discuss? I only ask because I have something I would like to bring up with you as well."

"Ah, no. Not exactly. That was merely the easiest thing to reveal to you. I have other subjects to go over."

"Very well, then. Let us cover these points quickly."

" _-ahem-_ Certainly! In amongst the treasure trove of data we discovered in that hidden wireless backup capsule, the one that was secreted under your father's old underground laboratory? I had also located a hidden disk partition within it, separate from the rest of his research notes. It was heavily encrypted, so I have been thusly attempting to decrypt this volume for over a year now. Some of that information has now come to light, and I suppose it is this urgent information that I need to discuss with you. Off the record, of course, as no one officially knows about this particular discovery. I have taken great pains to not make any notes or otherwise record this specific knowledge, and I am sure you will understand how much _that_ might mean to one such as myself? Some of it is…ah, it is…well, rather _sensitive_ in nature, Lady Satsuki-sama. For both yourself, as well as Ryuko-san."

Satsuki straightened up, stance now at full attention. "Sensitive? How so?"

Inumuta walked over to his desk and sat, then wordlessly motioned for Satsuki to sit down as well. Hands pressed together in front of him as though he were praying (and on some level, he was), Inumuta uttered not a single word until she had taken her seat and was settled comfortably: this comfort would not last, he suspected. One deep breath later, he proceeded to continue into the murky depths of histories past.

"Due to some data I have uncovered, I find myself to be somewhat concerned about Matoi's health as a human-fiber hybrid, in the long term."

One spindly eyebrow shot up as the faintest of frowns hooked the corners of her mouth down. "Her health? What do you mean, Inumuta? Please explain this at once!"

Hōka fired off this information as dispassionately as he could muster. He concealed any subsequent anxiety by secretly tapping his knee with one slightly nervous fingertip: he idly observed this to be at precisely four beats per second. "Well, I have taken the liberty of cross-referencing some of this new information with that which we already had collected about human/life fiber hybridization. Now as you know, we have a tremendous amount of data regarding the standard interaction of life fibers and humans, either via just regular life fiber-infused clothing, the use of our own three-star uniforms, even the Junketsu and Senketsu kamuis…we know what to expect _there_ , more or less! But we don't know much at all about _hybrids_ …permanently fused beings such as Nui, Ragyo and your sister, Ryuko. The smattering of data we do have about that union has been faithfully transcribed mostly by yours truly, and I cannot say I have the merest fraction of the intellect your father possessed in this particular field, either. What I have now discovered…well, it troubles me. I have uncovered multiple reports: data gathered by the technicians who assisted in the development of Nui Harime, data gathered by your father regarding your sister's hybridization as well as your own attempted one…and I now possess your father's information and accounts about Ragyo's early contact and transformation due to her contact with the Original Life Fiber as well. Satsuki-sama, I…do not like the patterns I perceive. I have reason to believe that such a hybridization, this joining of species…it may not be tenable in the long run. Instability eventually crops up sooner or later, endangering the organism and all around it as well. Wild fluctuations in temper, uncontrollable bouts of anger, followed by increasingly erratic behavior and…eventual insanity. Nui's breakdown manifested itself almost immediately, whereas Ragyo's was slow and virtually undetectable until her later years as an unchecked megalomaniac. I do _not_ wish to unnecessarily alarm you, and it _is_ a purely theoretical pattern borne from a rather small population sample…but sooner or later, I feel that this may potentially become an issue for Matoi Ryuko as well. We should at least consider taking steps to deal with this phenomenon, just in case. How has she been holding up lately, by the way? I have not seen her since her release from the hospital. I hope she is well?"

The woman known as Kiryuin Satsuki was, at her peak, one of the most indomitable and unshakeable minds on the entire planet. Now, however…her strength had been serving her in other, kinder areas of life, and it allowed a loose bolt or two to blow out past her iron will. She shook, quivered, and felt the coldest of chills run her through, as though rude harpy talons had brushed across her naked back once more for old times' sake.

 _'That anger…her uncontrollable bouts of rage…n-no! Not my Ryuko-chan! Please, by all that is holy, no! Spare her from this, please! I cannot allow it! I will NOT!'_

Her poker face allowed no trace of this to taint her expression, however. Old habits die hard, and Satsuki was a magnificent creature of instinct. A minor furrowing of her brow was all that served to indicate her inner turmoil. "That is most troubling news, Hōka. She has been well, save for some minor stumbles, of course. We will have to study this phenomenon in more detail. I shall contact Mikisugi, I will want his expertise on this matter. I shall not fail her, Inumuta…I cannot afford to! Was that it? I'd rather not waste any more time here if I should be preparing for…this."

"No, there's a bit more. One more fact that-"

Teeth clenching hard, Satsuki spat out an entirely unintentional yet volatile hiss of frustration. "More? Something has been deemed to be _more sensitive than my sister's health being in possible danger_? Surely you cannot be serious?"

"Possibly, yes. As I said, this is pure conjecture. Matoi's health may not change at all, so this is but a specter of things that may not _ever_ come to pass! However, the next thing I say will change both hers _and_ your life forever, and there is really no way for me to prepare you for it, either."

"Very well, then. Please tell me, Hōka. As a friend...tell me what I need to hear." Satsuki bravely steeled herself, fortifying her defenses for whatever awful salvo was incoming…but she could not have possibly been prepared for his words or the jolt of bitter memories they unleashed upon impact.

"I found your father's private video journals. A diary of sorts, one would say. Also, personal messages meant for both you and Ryuko. I believe that you will both want to view them, when the time is right."

Her pupils contracted. Though her posture denoted no difference in her mood, her heartbeat sped up and her nostrils flared imperceptibly. To actually see her father once again, after so many years…what would it do to her? More importantly, how would it affect Ryuko? She managed to utter a quiet query to answer Hōka's information bombshell. "Have you…have you viewed them?"

"Some. It could not be helped, as I had to verify the integrity of the data as it was being decrypted. But the things I have read and seen, so far…they…please, _please_ forgive me, Lady Kiryuin-sama, I'm not good at…this…sort of…I did not  ever intend to pry into your family's turbulent past!" A small tear slid out from under his blue spectacles, and Satsuki could not stop a small gasp from being uttered from her own lips. She didn't even know Hōka _could_ cry.

"Hōka...what exactly was witnessed to put you in such a state?"

His face a dull shade of scarlet, Hōka quickly centered his being, silently cursing the smallest loss of composure as a direct (though entirely unintended) insult. "I apologize, Lady Satsuki-sama. Please forgive my impertinence! I do not mean to cause you any heartache or pain. But I could not keep this revelation from you any longer. I can only hope that you and Ryuko can find a way to prepare yourselves for what lies within those journals. It will most likely answer every question you may have ever had about your family's somewhat…unfortunate past. I can tell from the subject matter that your father was a rather conflicted man. I would postulate that it might possibly be difficult information to process…even for _you_ , Lady Satsuki."

She drew up to her fullest, emanating both masterful poise and serenity as she tried to calmly process this most unexpected soul searching. "Hōka-san, I appreciate your most thoughtful discretion in this regard. I shall broach this subject with Ryuko at a time of my choosing. This will need to be a delicate undertaking, of course. Please leave that to me, and I will go through it all with her at some point in time. How shall we view this material, when we are ready to do so?"

"Ah, well…I'm still decrypting it, but it is nearly complete. I would say a few weeks, perhaps a month or so, and it will be fully accessible, at which time I can give you a fortified external hard drive with biometric locks. That way, only you and Ryuko could access it at all, and anyone trying to crack into it otherwise would trigger the self-destruct, rendering that copy of the data irretrievably inert. No one else will be viewing this material save yourself and Ryuko, I have seen to that. On this, you have my most solemn word!"

"Oh, weeks…to a month. I…understand."

"I am truly sorry, but even with all of my free servers dedicated to the decryption, it is a tremendously difficult process."

"No, I understand the situation completely. I know you always provide me with your very best work. This is no different. You honor me with your impeccable service, as always!"

He straightened up, no worse for the wear. His dispassionate mask was firmly sealed in place once again. He was human, after all…so a minor glitch in his personality matrix was to be occasionally expected, right? He could afford to let his mask slip once more sometime in the next, oh, say twenty years or so, by his estimation. Delicate emotions like this are so annoying and inefficient to process, he thought with an internal grimace.

"Inumuta-san…look. I wanted to give you this under more auspicious circumstances, but perhaps it is a poignant time to do this now, after all? Here, please take this…it may possibly assist you in your research. Please consider it a heartfelt token of my most sincere respect and appreciation."

She slowly slipped a thick, white envelope across the desk and into his waiting hands. Curiosity piqued, he tentatively felt the package: it was filled with dense, folded paperwork of some sort, but there was also a bulge on top that he deduced was an access card of some sort, based upon the general outline in the paper.

"Your life and work are as one...so I want for you to be able to perform to the very best of your abilities. I know you place a great deal of pride in your research, and have done so for as long as we have been united in our mutual pursuits. I decided recently that I have a great need to thank people more for their presence in my life, and I figured that you might appreciate a gesture such as this…?"

He opened the envelope, and a pamphlet from D-Wave Systems, Inc. fell onto the desk. His eyes, once they read the characters, widened so fast that Satsuki was momentarily worried that his glasses would become spontaneously airborne. He put together the clues in record time, but the answers, however obvious, were not readily accepted by his subconscious.

 _'Impossible. Simply impossible. This simply cannot be?'_ Inumuta pondered to himself, slightly dizzy at the prospect of playing with the world's fastest advanced quantum computer system.

"I trust you know what this is, and what it refers to…I know you better than that! This is a D-Wave Two: now corporate owned by Isshin Aerospace Inc., with this badge granting you permanent access to it. It is in Sub-Basement Three's secure room."

"So _that_ was the mystery delivery I was barred from investigating yesterday? I cannot believe that such a marvel has been right next to me all this time and I had no idea! May I assume that it was your doing, sealing that room from my cameras and probes? Not to mention the fact that the room is completely off the grid! Ah, you must have enlisted someone on my team to assist you with this, it's the only way!"

The slowly spreading grin upon her face made him feel somewhat better. If it was her wiles that arranged this, then his own powers of deduction were not at fault: Satsuki was as good at subterfuge and misdirection as any professional trickster. In fact, he was somewhat impressed that this wool was so effectively pulled over his eyes in his very own work space. Nonetheless, somewhere in the recesses of his professionally paranoid mind, he made a note to create and implement a pattern analysis algorithm into his surveillance systems: such tactics could just as easily be theoretically employed by corporate saboteurs, or worse. Well, not on _his_ watch it wouldn't!

She smiled, a full-on beam of gratitude that nonetheless still felt a bit alien on her face. "I owe you so much, Inumuta-sama. Your information kept us all educated and aware of every move, of every opponent and from every angle. None of us would be here without your keen observations, and my tactical command would surely have crumbled if not supported by your hard work. Also, you have come to be one of my closest supporters in my quests, and I need you to know how very much I appreciate your friendship. One way or the other, you have saved innumerable lives, Hōka-san!"

Inumuta removed his glasses, silently locking eyes with his erstwhile commander in a rare display of heartfelt emotion. She noted just then that Hōka's eyes seemed…older, somehow tired beyond his years. She would need to check up on him more often; she would not be surprised to later discover that he often slept in his office when in the midst of yet another pioneering discovery.

He calmly cleaned his glasses as he offered his own sobering thoughts. "You don't know how much _I_ owe _you_ , Satsuki-sama. You allowed me to simply be myself, you didn't deride me for my fascination and love for technology as others did. My parents recognized my gifts, but they also saw an evil within me. Well, just a callous carelessness and a blatant lack of respect for others, perhaps? It infected me early in life, leaving me with a cold disregard for others. Yet...for all the vastly stupid people out there, milling about in society like so many numb cows? There's much, much worse in the universe, and I know this now. So I owe the world the opportunity to be better than that. I must do my part to improve the human condition any way I can! If anything, I owe it to you. _You_ saved _me_. I just didn't know it at the time, of course."

"That was quite a day, when we first met. You nearly got away with it, too. If you had not stopped to gloat…!"

"Mmm, yes. I do save that for later these days, of course. A lesson well learned! I am all the more humble for it."

"Ah, perhaps you are…or perhaps you have simply become that much better at cloaking it?"

He pushed his glasses upon the bridge of his nose, the ghost of a smirk upon his lips. "Well now, here is a thought: to hide something in plain sight is the greatest trick of all! Wouldn't you agree, Satsuki-sama? I believe that you have been pulling _that_ one off for longer than anyone!"

"Ah, true. But…no longer! I, Kiryuin Satsuki, shall not obfuscate my true feelings any longer! That is the old way, and I find it to be an outdated and obsolete anachronism from an earlier era, a simplistic mechanism from a bygone time. I will hide nothing any longer, least of all my gratitude!"

With this, she quickly reached out and shook Inumuta's hand. It was fast enough where he didn't have time to react, and was found to be in awe of her cobra-quick speed. Her grip was firm, and her gratitude was absolute: it was only natural that he smile and bow before her in a display of his own thanks.

Returning the bow, Satsuki then straightened up one more. "Inumuta, I must go for now. I need to think of how to process all that has transpired here today. Thank you once again for your diligence and tenacity! I shall never forget it."

"Indeed, and I certainly understand your position. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you should need anything. Oh, yes! One more thing, Satsuki-sama…about the decryption of your father's private journals?"

"Oh…yes?"

He held up the basement access card, emerald eyes gleaming with electric excitement. "Not a month, not weeks… _days!_ I shall contact you once all is ready. This will speed up the process immensely. One might say it's a _quantum_ leap forward!"

"Indeed, one might. Thank you, Inumuta-san. Oh, and please do look out for yourself? I do not wish to discover that your health has been neglected due to your new toy in the company basement?"

"Of course not, Lady Satsuki!" he cheerfully lied. He wouldn't surrender to sleep for the next forty-two hours…and when pressed about it, he would say what he always said to any naysayers: _'Sleep is for the uninspired!'_ And inspired he certainly was.

* * *

Sex with Kiryuin Satsuki could be described as being a combination of chess and an arcade claw crane game: careful maneuvering and a keen sense of caution left Ryuko hovering between elated bliss and the thrill of precarious danger. After a quiet dinner, Satsuki had eventually broken down and requested comfort of a most intimate nature after the cumulative stress of her court battles and Ryuko's illness threatened to take toll on her sanity, and Ryuko was only too happy to volunteer. It was sometimes a bit of a risk, being this close to one who was rife with such emotional pitfalls…but to Ryuko, it was well worth it to be with such an awe-inspiring goddess.

That, plus she missed the intimacy as well. Ryuko hadn't counted on the toll it would take, her avoiding of Satsuki for fear of spontaneously hurting her…it was more harmful to both of them to deny such a connection. So she found herself submitting to the ministrations of the beautiful warrior, a willing participant in the battle to outdo one another once again.

Of course, sometimes it led to uncomfortable moments: one ill-timed caress here, a poorly phrased innuendo there, and Satsuki would plunge into a glacial pool of sudden retreat. One did not lead the life she had lived without becoming surrounded by the emotional landmines of memories past…yet Ryuko was savvy enough to avoid such tripwires…most of the time. She observed, learned, and eventually knew how to approach and subsequently care for Satsuki properly. True patience was a virtue she was becoming intimately familiar with these days, and the rewards were sweeter than she could have imagined.

Ryuko, now performing rare duty as the 'big spoon' in their post-coital resting arrangement, was delicately tracing her fingertips over Satsuki's sweat-tinged abdomen, hips and thighs, marveling over and over at the hypnotic, graceful curves and lines of what she considered to be absolute, poetic perfection.

"I sincerely hope you are not trying to start anything again, Ryuko-chan. I'm quite spent right now…" Satsuki rumbled, a sleepy yet content warning that nonetheless carried an authoritative air.

Ryuko scoffed, being slightly offended at the very idea. "Hey, come on now. Am I not being super gentle here? No, I'm not 'starting anything', promise. I'm just admiring you, is all? I wish I was an artist so I could sculpt your prettiness in marble. The way your curves dip and flow are just so…I can't put it to words, but…you're like this awesome work of art."

Satsuki instantly responded with rampant three-alarm blushing, then tucked her head into the pillows just a bit deeper. "Hmph. You are so silly. I'm no art piece. It's just the inevitable outcome of somewhat lucky genetics and routine exercise, that's all."

Ryuko admonished the young woman in the gentlest way she knew how. "You really need to give yourself more credit, Sats! Have you ever actually _looked_ at yourself? You should totally be on the cover of some fitness magazine, not some dumb corporate business periodical! That, plus your hair is always so shampoo-commercial perfect, even when you hack it off with a damn blade!"

"Looked at my…? Well, you know what's funny about that? I actually can bear to look at my own body again, now that my supremely long mane is mostly gone. I used to cover myself up with it when I was younger, you know. I'd just let my hair grow as long as I possibly could to provide myself with some sort of modest cover…coverage that could not simply be ripped away from me. I felt so ashamed of my looks back then, so very ugly. I was just so…ugh, so _repulsed_ by Ragyo's preoccupation with my…look, puberty hit me rather hard. I developed quite rapidly, and this seemed to trigger some sort of latent, instinctive reaction within her. She took it upon herself to overtly subjugate me, and sexual manipulation was but one of her favorite ways to accomplish this. So no, I have not made a habit of studying my own self in anything more than a physical maintenance sort of manner. I guess I don't really see much of interest when I look in the mirror...to be honest, I haven't ever given it much thought. I've always been more preoccupied with honing my mind, I suppose. My body has only ever been the vehicle of my unerring willpower, so I have maintained it as such."

Ryuko whispered plaintively in the direction of Satsuki's sunken pillow head fort. "Sats, you don't have to talk about that stuff right now, ya know. I want this to be a nice, relaxing snuggle time for you. No more stressing out, yeah? I'm sorry fer dredging up that kind of muck. I didn't mean it."

Satsuki dismissed the errant thought with a brief wave. "I don't mind. I find that I can discuss this sort of thing with you now without major repercussions. My chest doesn't even hurt anymore when I do so. It's just…there. I'm okay with it, if you are…?"

"Hey, you're the boss. I mean…heh-heh, you know. In bed, anyways? I'll have you know that the term 'surrender' doesn't pass by _my_ lips too often. Yet you've made it all right to maybe do that, I guess? Well, at least you really know how to treat your conquests, at any rate!"

Satsuki snorted to herself, then grinned. "It's not like you had a choice, dear heart. I beat you fair and square. Thank you for introducing me to strip poker, by the way. Poker is actually a somewhat interesting game! I never paid it much attention before. I had no idea that there could be such depth to facing off with an opponent in such a manner! Perhaps it gave me an unfair advantage, knowing your tells in advance?"

"Tells? I ain't got…now look here, I was a total stone face with you! You were just lucky, that's all!"

"Ryuko-chan, a person who resorts to saying that their opponent was merely 'lucky' is, shall we say, a bit too bitter about how the competition did not turn out in their favor? You see, I've been bluffing my entire life. You, on the other hand, haven't ever _had_ to bluff! You have always followed through on any threats you have ever employed in direct order, correct? So yes, you have certain tells that give you away. Body language involves more than just a supposed 'stone face', I'll have you know!"

"Shit. Well, okay then…spill it. What gives me away?"

"Oh, dear. I shall not be surrendering my advantages that easily! We _will_ play this again, you realize? By the way, did you want your clothes back? That impressive pile of loot has served its intended purpose."

"Rrr...fine! Then we'll play chess next!"

"Chess? Ah, well now. Look dear, I truly mean no sort of offense when I say this, but you simply haven't a chance at matching me there, Ryuko-san! I've been playing shōgi since I was six! I do still play online occasionally, when I have some free time and the mood strikes me. I have many, many formal challenges to answer, even now. I've been listed in the top ten ranks for nearly a decade. So I must warn-"

"Kiryuin Satsuki! I, Matoi Ryuko, hereby challenge you to an official chess match!"

"Oh? Very well, then. I cannot resist such bravery! Standard chess, or shōgi?"

"Uh...standard chess, I guess. I didn't know you played that particular variant? I didn't really study that version, so..."

"Study? Matoi, have you've been learning how to play chess just so you could challenge _me_?"

"Hell, yes! It's my duty as a little sister to cut the elder down to size!"

"Most intriguing! Pray tell, what do you hope to accomplish there?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just imagining your face when I _win_!"

"Hmm...so be it. I hereby accept your bold challenge. Don't you dare complain when I whip your ass mercilessly, though. I won't coddle you!"

"Damn straight! Me neither! Mercy is for the weak, and the weak don't win, right?" Ryuko grinned wildly, glad that Satsuki finally took the bait. It wasn't the first time that she had plunged willingly into impossible odds on enemy territory, and it wouldn't be the last. This would be _fun_.

"We shall see, my little firebird! That should prove to be interesting! Well, at any rate, I do thank you for being so magnanimous towards me, here and now. I want you to know that I appreciate your patience in this regard. I haven't been the easiest person to…be with, I am quite certain. Your support means a lot to me."

"Aw, come on. I ain't ever gonna add to that, ya know? I mean sure, I like being the aggressor in just about anything else, that's only natural. But here, with you? I can see the, ya know…the appeal. Um, ya know…the benefits to being…uh…sorta-" Ryuko tapped the ends of her index fingers together, trying to pick the proper, non-embarrassing word out of thin air and failing quite miserably.

"…submissive?" Satsuki crooned softly with a slight smirk, one eyebrow arched up at the delicious thought as well as the adorable reaction it proceeded to ignite.

Pink cheeks framed Ryuko's scrunched-up little nose, embarrassment competing with indignance at the daring suggestion. She spluttered as heat swelled within her breast, much like heated oil would react to a splash of cold water. "Wh-well, I wouldn't use _that_ exact word? I mean, come on, I-I don't roll over for just _anyone_ , ya hear me, woman? I ain't a freakin' wimp!"

"...and yet, you do find yourself submitting to my guidance more and more, do you not?" Satsuki cocked her head as she delicately stroked the flustered girl's thigh. The gentlest of suggestions sent her darling prey into a spiral of awkward maneuvering. Sometimes it was almost too easy.

Ryuko pouted, lips quivering with pseudo-hurt. "I...well, I mean...it's more convenient. I like to allow you full control over the situation and give you a safe place fer your head to be, right? I mean, if I let you be the actual aggressor in bed, you don't need to use that silly safe word of yours, right? You won't ever hafta resort to that if you're the one driving, yeah? So yep, that's it right there, see…I'm just being _nice_ and accommodating to you, get it? I'm no pushover, Kiryuin…and don't you ever forget it!"

"You have an issue with my choice of safe word? I felt it to be a good idea to employ one, just in case. We do have the potential to be somewhat volatile at times. Surely you agree?"

"Aw, heck! No, 'rainbow' works just fine for me, too. I just don't see me ever using it, personally? I'm down with whateeeever you wanna do, really. Hell, I can take _any_ whipping you can dish out! Gosh, I am _such_ a bad girl, Lady Satsuki! It's up to you to teach me how to be good...if you can  ever find a way?"

"Ah yes, I shall test the very limits of your strength one way or the other, you little minx! Oh yes, that reminds me! I have a gift for you."

Reaching into her nightstand drawer, she withdrew a small package in a paper bag. Satsuki then placed it upon the bed in front of the curious youth, whose eyes were now sparkling with jittery excitement.

" _*gasp*_ A present fer me? Really? I haven't even been all that good? What's this about, huh?"

Her bedmate tossed her head back, sighing dramatically as she did so. "It's no big deal, Ryuko. Just go ahead and open it."

No sooner did her blessing leave her tongue did the bag vaporize in a flurry of blurred shredding. Eyes rolling at the unnecessary mess, Satsuki nonetheless enjoyed the intensity of watching Ryuko savor every molecule of doting attention she was now receiving. Then again, she had also observed the impulsive girl once put the same frenzied effort into looking for a prize at the bottom of a cereal box, hadn't she? Normally such unbridled behavior would rankle the ever-stoic Kiryuin, but there was something genuinely sweet about witnessing such an earnest emotion.

Ryuko's expression changed to one of mild confusion as she pulled the odd device out from its cardboard prison. Satsuki stepped in to alleviate her sister's questioning gaze with a brief explanation.

"It's a hand exerciser for finger strength, see? I know you haven't really been playing guitar quite as much these past few months, so once I spied this unit I thought that perhaps it would help you get your 'chops' back? Ah, at least I hope that's what that phrase means?"

Ryuko's head tilted back, now struck my sudden recognition of the device's purpose. "Oh yeaaaah, now I see! These gears here set the levels of resistance. _Hmm-_ hey, that's pretty neat! Thanks, nee-san! Lesse here now, what kinda workout can I crank out with this sucker, eh?"

Ryuko quickly set the maximum resistance, then grinned as she gave the device an enthusiastic squeeze. It responded with a brief groaning noise, then proceeded to suddenly explode as it rained the bed and the immediate surrounding area with black plastic chunks and random springs.

Silence quickly smothered the room with an awkward hush. Ryuko and Satsuki both stared wide-eyed and mouths agape at the fragments of plastic that were still pinched between her steel digits. Ryuko eventually muttered a succinct, quiet observation regarding the unreal situation as it played out.

"…holy _fuck_."

"Well…perhaps you didn't need any assistance with that, after all? At the very least I should have anticipated this. Yes of course, I should have obviously sought out a hardened metal one instead! I'm terribly sorry, Ryuko. If I had put more thought into it…"

"…yeah…that's okay, really. Um. Yep. So. Hey, you know what? It's the thought that counts!"

"Yes, I suppose so. Really, I just wanted you to cease that silly 'air guitar' thing you do all the time. It irritates me to no end! I figured that if I could just get you to use this device instead, at least it would be time well spent honing your craft…instead of spastically flapping your hands around as if you had lost control of them!"

"H-hey! Wait a minute! It's the same damned thing as Jakuzure and her 'air conducting' thing she does when she listens to _her_ music?!"

"Yes, well. I beg to differ. Hmm...that immense strength of yours. Consider my curiosity piqued. How is it that you do not constantly break things like this all the time? No offense is intended here, this I certainly hope you understand? But I've personally witnessed you achieve some truly astounding feats of strength in what seems to be a rather casual and blasé way for one such as yourself? When I wore Junketsu, I had to carefully focus all of my _ki_ just to follow through with my blows. Maintaining such effort was a most draining experience! Yet you seem to have this effortless control about you…well, most of the time. At least I assume you must, yes? This sort of thing would occur on an hourly basis if it were not so. Tell me, what exactly is it like having such power at your disposal, if you don't mind me asking?"

Ryuko awkwardly shrugged, letting crumbled bits fall from her fingers as she squinted at them. "Um, well...since my fibers fully awakened, it's been a real eye opener, that's fer sure. It's an upper level kind of strength limit, not a lower one. It's at normal levels for most things, I just happen to have a...uh, I have a much higher upper end, is all? I'll have you know that I'm getting to be _very_ careful about that, since anger leads to...y'know...issues. Obviously. I mean sure, I might occasionally have little missteps like _this_ , but…"

"Hmm. You have gotten much better about controlling your temper, this I will give you. All that meditation has worked wonders for you, in my esteemed opinion! Perhaps it's time we released you back into the wild then? I mean, now that you have been properly domesticated by me, of course! Well, I suppose this is as good a time as any to ask this question. I was wondering something recently. Would you be interested...ah, I was planning to go about this in a more formal manner, but...Matoi Ryuko, would you like a job?"

Ryuko blinked. She tweaked her ears, just to make sure that she hadn't fallen for some sort of awkward auditory illusion. "A…a job? Who, me? What could I possibly be good for? I don't have any kind of degree, past my high school diploma. Sats, I ain't really good fer much, y'know...unless your foundation has some motorcycles that need fixing?"

"No, nothing like that. In fact, I'd like you to run the foundation's intake facility. To have you functioning as the first impression of our organization and to talk to those in need. In particular, the youths who may feel that they have nowhere else to go. If they could be greeted by one such as yourself, one who has lived on the streets, been alone, fended for herself…I feel it would do an incalculable amount of good to have them relate to you, and you to them. If they come through our doors, they are surely seeking help! But if we cannot quickly assuage them as to their fears, prove that we can relate to them and recognize their needs? They may decide to bolt and take their chances elsewhere. Assuring people, winning their trust…this is _not_ my strong point, Ryuko-san. I am woefully unequipped for that! I am certain to be seen only as an authority figure, and I certainly cannot pretend to act in another manner. But you? I believe that you have the sincerity and the empathy to pull off such a thing."

"I think that sounds like a huge responsibility, Sats. I don't wanna screw up such an important deal. I mean, your rep would be hanging in the balance here! I don't know if-"

"Ryuko, please tell me honestly. When you were alone at boarding school all those years, waiting for Father to come get you or even just call? Or when you were living all alone on the streets? Would you not have seen the value of just…talking to someone who was willing to actually listen to your feelings? Anyone who was kind enough to take the time to see how you were really doing? Isn't it possible that this alone may have made a tremendous difference in your life?"

Ryuko's eyes went wide. A long, slow stare off into the distance brought her back to relive many years of harsh heartache. Did anyone ever listen to her, back then? No, not really. The teachers were too busy worrying about their damned budgets, or if they would have a job the next year. Dad sent her to the crappiest boarding schools ever…probably on _purpose_ , too. But what if someone _had_ been nice enough to care for her in an actual, genuine fashion back then? What then, Matoi?

Satsuki whispered a delicate missive to her sister. "Ryuko, it's okay. I sometimes wonder if that's the real reason you bonded so well with Senketsu…not for any pre-programmed genetic reason, but rather that he was the first being who truly _listened_ to you, and was willing to actually share in your pain."

"I...uh…Senkets- _*snf*_ I _guess_ that it might have been nice...maybe? I mean, I've always been the toughest cookie around though! I never needed anyone! Um…but… _*snf*_ …I mean-"

"Are you all right, Ryuko-sama? You sound as though you might be a bit choked up or-"

"N-naw! Who, me? _-Pssht-_ noope! Not this friggin' vagabond, not no how, ain't no way! I'm cool like an iceberg, solid as a rock! I ain't getting' all weepy!"

"Are you sure? You sound as through you could use a handkerchief-"

"Nope, I'm good. Just…uh, just pollen allergies. That's all."

"What, in this area? I haven't noted any evidence of this allergy manifesting itself before? What pollen, is it ragweed? Artemisia, perhaps? I suffer from allergies myself; I think I would have felt it before you, surely? I heard that the index was unusually low this time of year, but still-"

"Uh…sure. Pollen! No it ain't them, it's…um…uhh…pumpkin pollen. Yeah, that must be it! I was cooking some over at Mako's place fer dinner a few days ago, it musta triggered my nose while I was scooping them out. Yep. Pretty sure that's it."

" _Pumpkin_ pollen? Are you quite sure about that?"

"Uh, yeah! Why, are you doubting my word, Kiryuin?"

"Oh, heavens no, of course not! I'd never have reason to doubt your word. Tell me this, Ryuko: did the pumpkin seeds get _all the way_ up your nose, too?"

"Aw shit, did I say 'pumpkin'? I totally meant 'ragweed'. Sorry, I thought you said _Ragyo_ at first, and I thought to myself that I wasn't really allergic to that bitch, she just made me break out…in fists! Heh! Yeah, so that kinda distracted me, and I just mixed up the-"

"You know, I'm actually somewhat relieved that you are such an awful liar, dear heart. It says so very much about the sweetness of your true nature, regardless of the source of your so-called 'pollen sniffles'! Nonetheless, I'd ask that you at least consider my offer? I have many difficult hurdles to overcome with my foundation, and any assistance you could proffer would be quite appreciated, especially at this troublesome point in time."

Ryuko's red-faced defensive sputtering turned into earnest concern in a single eye blink. "Troublesome? Why, what's wrong, Satsuki? I thought it was all settled and stuff?"

Satsuki paused, a cloud of bitterness darkening her mood. "Well, I'll absolutely need to secure more funding, for starters. Leaving REVOCS has diminished my financial power: I earned quite a fair share from the proceeds of the sale, but there isn't nearly enough left over for what I have in mind. It was necessary to more or less buy my freedom in the form of hefty legal fines, penalties and various fees during that hellish debacle…all fallout from her damned legacy! Everyone now wants revenge for what Ragyo did in her time, and even though I was legally cleared of most of the serious charges leveled against the corporation, I'm still associated by name with her reign of terror. Understandable, of course: the Kiryuin name marks me as a public enemy of sorts, it now being synonymous with evil. The lawyers eventually cleared me of being found culpable, but that cost me dearly as well."

"Yer name, huh? Okaaaay…so change it."

"It's not that simple!"

"Mmkay, whatever you say. Seems simple to me, but what do I know..."

"Hush, child. Pay attention, please! Now I have recently been courting a small investment group, made up of those few individuals that are still sympathetic to my own personal cause…but most of them probably won't invest if a person who they perceive to be 'uneducated' is in charge of the center, anyways. Not that this has much to really do with the very idea of my current establishment, but it is the cold reality of the situation! Takarada, of course, cannot provide me with any financial backing. His empire is still reeling from the events of the past. Ryuko, I don't know who to rely on for this! I need this foundation to be a success. I'm just working with so much less than I had originally anticipated. It's most vexing to me!"

"Aw, come on. What if I promise to fund it instead? All that money just sits in the bank anyways. Inumuta was nice enough to show me how to set it up, so that I could just live off the interest or whatever. There's all kinds of investments and portfolio crap, it boggles my mind to even look at it. I'm afraid to touch it, really. I mean, I've seen how out of control people can become with that kind of wealth, ya know? It's a good cause, so it would be money well spent. Shit, all that monetary power and all of _this_ physical power, deep within me? Turns out I don't even want it, either of 'em! How funny is that? Right, Sats?"

Kiryuin Satsuki reached out to caress twin fists of frustration, a fierce smile of overwhelming pride split across her face. Ryuko was unconsciously shaking her fists out in front of herself in a vain attempt to underline the concept of how terrific the strain such power could be upon a mere mortal such as herself, and Satsuki moved to quell the anxious young firebrand. "No! It's not funny. It's the best thing that could possibly happen, that you might have the temptation of power and yet resist the urge to misuse it! _That_ is true strength, Ryuko-san! It makes me ever so proud of you, of your immense depth of character. You are a true hero, in every sense of the word! I could not be more proud of you!"

Ryuko locked eyes with Satsuki, who witnessed the abrupt transformation of anguish into tranquil melancholy. "So, yeah. I have to ask. You won't…think less of me being all uneducated and stuff if I take that job instead of going to college? I know how much that means to you." Quietly pleading eyes sought out for a soothing of traitorous, nagging doubts, and in this Satsuki was as supreme as she was confident in her response.

"Nonsense! You are my partner in this, and in everything! You've always been there for me, no matter the difficulty it has brought you. How could I ever think less of you, when you've proven yourself to be the greater of the two of us? You have, through your example, taught me the value of caring and mercy, of passion and compassion. I owe you the _world_ , Ryuko-san. I truly do! I could not have even dared to become a better person if you were not present in my life to guide me. You have been my lighthouse in this stormy life of mine…I want-no, I _need_ you to know that. Thank you for supporting me in this project, and in everything else, too! I would surely crumble if not for your loving presence!"

Ryuko smile beamed out a flare of pure gratitude, and she was surprised to discover that her voice was strangely inoperable. Choked up from the heartfelt moment, she shrugged and continued to grin like she was drunk from these draughts of pure adulation. In fact, that was exactly what it was, and she didn't mind a bit. Playing the hero angle was never her primary goal, but…warm adulation like this had its moments, for sure.

Satsuki patted her sibling's hands once more, gently placed a single peck upon her heated red cheek, and then commenced the task of sweeping up the crumbled bits of plastic that littered the silken battlefield of their bed. She had resisted the compulsive temptation of cleaning up the mess long enough, and now she sought to soothe the clamor of her inner neat freak once more.

Ryuko kneeled upon the edge of the bed, precariously balancing herself on her knees as she enjoyed the precise and orderly fashion that her ever-so-slightly OCD sister employed so very effectively. She found it strangely fascinating to observe, how machine-like Satsuki operated in her quest for structural peace. Talented hands darted out, deftly picking up random plastic debris like a seasoned conjurer would move around shells during a magic performance.

Ryuko may also have been somewhat enchanted by the fact that the woman was still quite nude, her curvaceous hips and breasts swaying to and fro as she worked diligently to secure organized peace. The young Matoi's roaming fingers nonchalantly made their way to the tingling cleft of her now-slick-and-still-a-bit-sore labia, teasing herself gently as she watched the Kiryuin woman vigorously toil away before her in the buff. Her palm rested innocently upon the neatly trimmed tuft of her pubic landing strip as she diligently studied Satsuki's methods in great depth.

Satsuki carefully smoothed over the bed's silken folds while Ryuko covertly smoothed out her own as well. _'Hmm. Ahn. Uh. Mmhmmm. Oh, nice. No shame, eh Satsy? Well, who am I to stand in the way of your gorgeous-*_ _ **BZZzzzZZZzzzT**_ _*'_

Ryuko's phone vibrated on her nightstand just then, an angry hornet buzz of incoming communication that always creeped her out when it took her unawares. Goosebumps still prickling her forearms, she hastily grabbed the phone and checked for the most inopportune caller's identity. A cartoon coconut, googly eyes bulging out in true Tex Avery style, was wiggling back and forth across the screen. Ryuko quickly swiped the call icon over to green: it was rare that Mankanshoku Mako called this late on a weekday evening, and it was quarter to eleven now.

"Mako! Hi! Is everything okay, you never call this…uh-huh? Uh-huh? Okay? Sure, I guess. I mean, if it's _that_ important, of course!"

Satsuki looked up briefly from her intense seek-and-destroy-all-clutter mission, whereupon Ryuko motioned with a wave that it was all right, that a real emergency was not actually manifesting itself that evening (probably). Satsuki nodded briefly before returning to her task, once-worried eyebrows unknitting themselves back into a calmer plateau of modest determination instead.

"Okay, Mako. Ask away!" Ryuko's face went from vague concern to wide-eyed disbelief as she processed the firehose of words that now assaulted her eardrums. A loving smirk crept across her face as she struggled to prevent rude giggles from bursting forth from her throat. Her abdomen buckled and complained from the mighty effort it required for this feat.

"Okay, so let me get this straight. You absolutely need to know at this _very_ moment what kind of music…bunnies like? You need to know what they would dance to while you're counting them to go to sleep. Right, okay. Lemme just think about that for a minute…"

The mute button was briefly deployed as a most powerful chuckle slipped past Ryuko's defenses. Satsuki paused long enough to regard the odd scene before her: that of Ryuko Matoi, one paw gripping her sides as she shook her head vigorously, then taking a deep breath as she bravely powered back into the surreal conversation. The slightest of head shakes, then Satsuki was back to her cleaning. A vacuum could certainly perform this task more effectively, but Satsuki did not want to be so rude as to interrupt their conversation.

"So, yeah. I would say that bunnies like pop music? Yeah, like the really auto-tuned, super chipper kind of dance stuff. No, no rock or metal. It would totally scare them! Right…" Ryuko took the opportunity to reach out and caress Satsuki's delicate jawline, one fingertip outlining the firm sculpted cheek as it brushed by a famously sensitive earlobe. Satsuki responded by quickly shaking her head, as if some minor annoyance had just dared to distract her from participating in the holy war on disorder that was occurring in the bedroom just now.

Quietly snickering, Ryuko then grazed a solitary fingernail against one bare hip, eyes glittering with mischief as she regarded the majestic, unclad woman now before her. Satsuki struck out with one palm, efficiently swatting away the offending digit with a well-placed smack.

Ryuko bit her lower lip as she continued to offer her insight regarding the insomnia-afflicted Mankanshoku's philosophical plight. "No, they wouldn't really like opera. Yes, I have seen that cartoon. We watched it together, Mako…remember? Well, come on. It's just a cartoon! That ain't real life! Nope, bunnies would dig pop music, like for real. Trust me on this! Well, no…I would absolutely not call Jakuzure right now! Well, mainly because she's in a totally different time zone right now? Look, if you wanna disrupt her sleep schedule, be my guest. You are all alone on that one! Just warnin' ya, even I ain't _that_ brave! Jet lag will piss her off enough, I don't wanna see her with-yes, good. Well, ask her when ya see her tomorrow, then! But fer now, I'd go with pop music…"

Ryuko leaned down to brush her lips past the outstretched neck of a certain Kiryuin warlord, who was herself kneeled over to retrieve a rather evasive metal spring upon the floor. She froze just then, calculating the proper response to such inconsiderate tomfoolery. Her mental defense catalogue seized up during processing, the gentle sensation of said lips lulling her into a peaceful, surprisingly anger-free moment. A brief exhalation of exasperated air escaped her nose, tickling the sneaky Matoi into a momentary retreat.

Satsuki looked up at her invader. Blue met blue as they regarded each other's eyes, sizing up each other's intentions. Satsuki discovered that her aggravation had mysteriously evaporated, giving way to a softer cloud of sheer tranquility. There was no way she could lash out at that honest face, those loving eyes. She grew still, eyes closing and head lowering slightly as she demurely surrendered to Ryuko's machinations.

Surprise overwhelmed Ryuko more effectively than any offensive maneuver could have possibly hoped to achieve. Her vision swam as Satsuki's scent overrode her perceptions for the time being. This moment, crystallized in that briefest sliver of time, suspended the young Matoi in a hypnotic swell. Satsuki had never failed to preemptively mount an enthusiastic counterattack against her ever-invading paws, and this complete and entirely uncharacteristic lack of defense left her own invasion tactics soundly neutralized. Never had she been so effectively disarmed by…absolutely nothing at all?

"…eh? What? Oh, no! Sorry about that, Mako! I kinda…zoned out there. It's late, I guess I'm more tired than I thought. Yeah, totally! Pop music _is_ the soundtrack, so think of that while the bunnies in your head are partying. All right? Yeah, I love you too, Mako. Get some sleep, okay? Yeah, you totally _will_ need all your energy for Nonon's welcome home bash tomorrow night! Yup, you too! G'night!"

She absentmindedly ended the call, ears still ringing from Mako's verbal blitzkrieg. Ryuko didn't notice. She was utterly entranced with witnessing the dawn of Satsuki's calmest aura, the terms of her beautiful and unexpected surrender.

"I trust all is well, Ryuko-san?" she murmured, the sudden silence conjuring a wall of unknown ether between them.

"Golden. I think? _Is_ everything all right?"

"Mmm. Quite. Why do you ask?"

"You just…stopped. Like you just surrendered or something."

"Ah, that I did."

"…why?"

Satsuki's cobalt eyes fluttered open, a radiant sparkle evident within them. Her warm smile sought to immediately reassure the worried visage of the crimson-tinged, raven-tressed beauty who now crouched down before her. It was the most sincere smile that she had ever formed, and it was all due to the efforts of this girl who was now taking up the entirety of her vision. It was crystal clear now, that it was time to pay all debts, even all balances. Karma demanded it.

"Why? Because I haven't a reason to do otherwise. I _trust_ you, Ryuko. I trust you utterly and completely. I just happened to realize that fact, just now. It's absurd to try to defend myself from that which is not an attack, but is actually just love in its purest form. I love you, down to the very core of my being! This I will welcome with all my heart and soul. Mark this day, Matoi Ryuko! For it is the day you finally conquered Kiryuin Satsuki. To you I surrender…I surrender my fragile heart. To you _I_ surrender, now and forever!"

Ryuko chose to accept these terms of surrender as they were laid out before her…and enthusiastically accepted them again the next morning, as well.

* * *

The upscale restaurant has its private back room rented out for the entire afternoon. Satsuki was, as always, keen upon securing absolute privacy, and it was here that two old friends met up and connected again after an extended period of separation. Here a diminutive, pink-shocked woman found herself latched tightly around the neck of a tall, slender lady of onyx shoulder-length coiffure.

Neither girl spoke: it was enough to hug, as it was just as effective as a blurted rush of words would have been at such a moment. Satsuki was mildly surprised to discover trace amounts of moisture clinging to the corners of her eyelids, and she shrugged and proceeded to ignore it for the time being. This brave, new Satsuki wasn't concerned with sending out such an emotive declaration. It was an earnest reaction: she had missed her dearest friend tremendously, and intercontinental video chats simply couldn't offer salve for this kind of personal connective void.

A tremendous rush of language then flowed from the tiny jet-lagged performer, and it was all Satsuki could do to not point out how very similar Nonon's string of excited verbiage was to Mako's standard 'Hallelujah' moments. Nonon breathlessly spewed out a litany of caffeine-fueled observations about her months-long world tour, and Lady Kiryuin could only stand back and observe as Mount Jakuzure proceeded to vent before her.

"Oh yeah, and I met someone! A guy we picked up while on tour in America. One of our troupe was denied a visa at the last minute or something, and the tour manager landed us this stunning violinist to help out. Good thing too, because even I can't conduct the show and play violin at the same time, right? He ended up touring with us for the entire American leg, he worked out so very well! He had our routine down cold already; it turns out he's a huge fan! So things worked out really well there. Really well…"

One eyebrow hovered in silent consideration of this scenario. Satsuki delicately sipped her tea, then nibbled on her scone as she regarded the nervously energetic musician before her. There was an unusual electric current of excitement running under Nonon's skin; she could feel it from across the table.

"Well now, who wouldn't be a fan of the very first person listed in Rolling Stone's ' _10 New Artists You Need to_ _Know_ ' category for this month?"

"Oh, you saw that already? Isn't that just crazy? I'll tell you that the past few months have been so weird for me and my crew. The music tour, all this attention…our fans…" And yet for all this, Nonon's mind kept wandering back to her number one fan, overriding everything else in her recent memory.

"Oh, Satsuki-sama. He's such a wonderful guy! He's really smart, he can keep up with me on all my music theory and history babbling...in fact, I've actually learned a thing or two from him! Imagine that! Oh, and he's got a really huge...uh...talent. F-for music! So, he's attending Juilliard, which is one of the world's most prestigious music schools. His violin playing is simply world-class, he can belt out Paganini in his sleep! Yep, he's _that_ good!"

"Have you a picture of him? I'd like to see this specimen of pure talent. You didn't mention him before?"

"Of course, I-oh, crap! I left my phone charging in the car this morning, which is...not here, because it's getting inspected at Ira's garage. Damn it, damn it, _damn it_! Ugh, I have to find a way to wake up, and soon! I'm such a mess. Jet lag sucks! All that coffee, and I'm still a damned zombie! Rrrgh!"

"Oh trust me, I know about jet lag. It's okay. Tell me about him, then."

"Okay, so his name is Marcus. He's tall, with long black hair...kind of skinny, but like a runner's physique, not a stick figure, right? He's got perfect teeth, all nice and neat, a real killer smile! Oh, and these really gorgeous blue eyes! Really, now that I think of it, he almost looks like a male-"

 _'-version of you.'_ Nonon floated by her sudden subconscious realization like an iceberg in the night, and it took all her poise to not be done in by it.

 _"-ahem-_...oh, _god_. A male...god. Um, l-like Adonis, or whatever. He's...hot, Satsuki-sama! Did I mention how talented he is? Let me tell you, he has some mighty nimble fingers as a classically-trained violinist!"

Satsuki's eyebrows were arched, and her expression was one of inquisitive surprise. "Your language is so...evocative. How close are you to this person, Nonon?"

Nonon gulped as her heart trip-hammered a flustered drumbeat cadence. "Um, p-pretty close? I am kinda seeing him now, maybe? I mean...um...oh, shit. All right, look. I guess I better let that cat out of the bag. So, one night after a concert, we all went out drinking. I had become pretty friendly with Marcus, and we were in his hometown of Chicago that evening, so he knew of some places that would serve us. He was taking me on a tour of all his old haunts and eventually it was just the two of us, because everyone else wimped out early and went back to the hotel. So we somehow ended up at some tattoo parlor, and he asked me if I had one, which of _course_ I didn't! But he asked what I _would_ get, hypothetically…so of course I said probably a musical instrument of some sort, because I'm  me. He wanted to get a violin with flames on his shoulder, so...so, anyways. Um. Stuff sort of happened. Well...h-here. Uh, don't freak out."

Nonon motioned down and discreetly pulled the top of her skirt back, and a flute with flames peeked out from upon her lower hip. Satsuki's jaw dropped, and the young Jakuzure heiress silently regarded the genuine shock registering upon her face as she herself struggled to not spontaneously combust from a third-degree blush fire.

"You have a _tattoo_? Nonon, I simply cannot believe this!"

"Yeah, I can't believe it, either. Pretty soon, I'll be working for the Yakuza, right? But still, it was a night I won't ever forget."

"I see. Nonon-san, what else happened that evening, if you don't mind me asking?"

" _-sigh-..._ you…you _know_. I can tell. I can't hide anything from _your_ perceptive skills, Lady Kiryuin-sama."

"Not really. I mean, I don't intend on assuming anything, nor do I mean to pry into your personal matters. Yet the manner in which you are speaking suggests that perhaps-"

"Yeah well, perhaps I also…um…lost my virginity that night, too."

" _-gasp-_ Oh my goodness! Jakuzure-san, please do forgive me for saying so, but I was under the impression that you were saving yourself for marriage?"

"Yeah, well who's to say I _won't_ marry him? I'm totally in love with him, Satsuki-sama!"

"I see. You mentioned that you had been drinking, yes? He didn't...Nonon, did this man take advantage of this opportunity to-"

"Nani-? Oh...no, no way, absolutely not, Satsuki! I swear to you that's not how it was! If anything, _I_ was the one who made it happen, to be honest. It just happened...you know, I was so damned horn-um...I mean...it was really _hard_...w-well, anyways, no. He is an absolute gentleman, I assure you! And he was a _perfect_ gentleman for the rest of the tour, too. All eleven stops of it! Oh, my god. I think I might still be sore from New York City...ah, s-sorry, too much information there, I'm sure?"

"Mmm. Do your parents know of this?"

"Oh _no_! No, no, _hell_ to the _no_. Are you kidding? My parents would kill me for even being alone in the same room as a boy! Well, that and the tattoo. If I wanted Dad to have a heart attack, that alone would do it. There would be a belt sander involved if he saw _this_ on me, I'm sure of it! See now, here's the problem I have, Satsuki-sama. My parents decided a long time ago that I was going to be the heiress that takes on the family business. I love my family, Satsuki-sama, I really do...but I've always really chafed under that assumption. I mean, music is my life, my true passion! Hell, they're only letting me tour so I can 'get it out of my system while I'm young', so that when Dad retires, I can be there to take over. But I don't want that. I don't want to have to sacrifice my happiness just so I can pretend to be the faithful  son my father wishes he had! Yeah, I'll always be living under _that_ specter. Thanks, Dad! But now, I've found someone who makes me truly happy...all I'd have to do to achieve true happiness is to turn my back on family tradition and earn their hate and disrespect forever. What kind of a choice is that?"

"I don't know. I'm so sorry, Nonon-san. I wasn't aware this was such a serious issue for you. I knew of your family's expectations, but I had assumed that you were to eventually acquiesce to their wishes. I wasn't aware you wanted a different future."

"Yeah, well. It's more important than ever now, since the Jakuzure Shipping Company doesn't have the guaranteed Kiryuin contract to cement its future anymore. When REVOCS disintegrated, their 'iron-clad' contract went with it. So now Dad is so damned worried about the family's legacy, he thinks he will go down in history as the man who let the company fail under his watch. Never mind that it had nothing to do with his leadership, really. Circumstances being what they were...although I think that maybe he did get way too complacent with the Kiryuin contract? It made him less aggressive about pursuing other ones, and building up connections like that takes time, you know? Time he no longer has, really. Get this: he actually thinks that having me as the CEO can lead to new inroads with younger executives of other companies, can you believe that crap? My fame as the leader of 'Pink Domination'...I'll bet that's the only reason he let me tour in the first place, to build up a rep so he could then capitalize on it! Satsuki-sama, I'm _so_ sick of being just a pawn in my parents' schemes!"

Satsuki reached over and pressed her hand upon Nonon's balled fist. She squeezed gently as they made eye contact. A gentle expression then made itself known upon her face as the young Kiryuin consoled her oldest friend. "You may find this hard to believe, Nonon-san, but I have some experience with that."

Nonon stared at her for a moment, then let slip a nervous cough from her otherwise agitated expression. "Yes, you do. Gosh, just listen to me squawk and whine about dumb life stuff! How have you been recently? I see that you hand is all better now? I hear that Matoi is more or less back to normal, which means she only aggravates you ten times a day, right?"

"I am well. Getting the foundation up and running has been quite a challenge, but it is far less stressful than before! Ryuko is…well, Ryuko. She is better, for the most part. She has had to cope with a myriad of issues recently, but she is as tough as they come. I'm quite proud of her."

"Yeah? Well, I'm really glad she's okay. I mean, don't tell her I _said_ this, mind you! But I'm actually somewhat fond of that punk. I'll squeeze a real musician out of her someday, I promise!"

"I'm sure you will, Jakuzure-san. Hmm…you know what, just between you and me? I'll let you in on a little secret. When I was in the hospital watching over her, I played her MP3 player for her constantly. Music therapy is a recognized form of treatment for coma patients, I found out…and I'm fairly certain that it did help her in some way. Most of it was horrid, noisy screaming and such, but I would estimate that about five percent of her music is comprised of classical artists now. I heard Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Wagner and Chopin in amongst her library's collection! Those were some nice, welcome surprises to stumble upon during my vigils, I assure you!"

"Really? Huh! Iiiiinteresting. Maybe there's some hope for her yet!"

"Well, perhaps. But remember, I did say only 'five percent'…"

"Oh come on, Satsuki-sama! Any music that stimulates one's creativity is good in my book! Of course, classical _is_ at the very top of the heap, but there's lots of amazing stuff out there-"

"What, _you_ on top of a heap? You ain't tryin' to change a light bulb, are ya there, Shorty?"

Nonon stopped mid-sentence. Only one person could negate her sonics so very effectively: the transfer student had arrived. She turned to see the leering youth, sticking her head into the doorway with a widest grin of purest weaponized annoyance.

"Hey, you rodent. I can't believe I'm saying these words, but I'm _almost_ glad to see you."

"Oi, I didn't see your pink monster in the parking lot, so I figured you weren't here yet?"

Nonon shrugged. "I will admit that I let the inspection lapse. I had to renew both it and my driver's license, since I was away for so long. I've never toured the world before, so I think I can be forgiven for such a minor slip-up, thank you very much! Oh, by the way Satsuki-sama, can you drop me off at home after this? I don't have a ride because of that fact."

Ryuko blurted out "Aw come on, Pinky! Just drive it anyways! Not like I ever actually got _my_ driver's license…"

The millisecond those words left her lips, the impetuous youth knew she was in deep trouble. Teeth gritted and with one hand plastered over her impulsive, traitorous mouth, she steeled herself for the incoming bombardment.

Satsuki just glared at her, darkened eyes roiling with acidic venom. Nonon, having witnessed what was about to happen many times in the past, felt a tiny twinge of pity for the former drifter…but an immense surge of schadenfreude drowned out that spark as Satsuki unleashed her fury at someone who had utterly failed her faith in them. The rebuke was surprisingly restrained, however, and Nonon couldn't tell if it was because they were in public or if Satsuki had softened that much since her Honnōji Academy days.

" _Is that so,Matoi Ryuko_? Well then, I absolutely _forbid_ you from any further driving until your license has been earned  properly, for public safety as well as legal liability reasons. Is this perfectly clear?"

"*sigh* …yesss, onee-sama. I get it."

"Does this _also_ mean that you do not possess a legitimate motorcycle permit, either?"

"I…uh…I almost got around to taking that exam! I swear! I was just…distracted! You know, life and…stuff…"

" _I see_."

Two tiny words had never contained such cold, bitter emotion before. Ryuko detected nearly lethal levels of anger and irritation, but what actually bothered her was the trace amounts of disappointment and hurt that were sensed as well. She had never felt quite as guilty as when she gave her sister a reason to mistrust her. She felt a brief glimmer of hope when she saw Satsuki's hand reaching out to her, and Ryuko was fully prepared to accept the incoming palm of soothing comfort…until she realized just what the Kiryuin was actually seeking.

Authoritarian digits motioned a single jerk back. Ryuko sighed, shoulders dropping as she slowly forked over her car fob. The palm continued to hover, not yet satisfied with the current status quo. The young hooligan considered growling, but realized that she had nowhere to go, morally speaking. Her precious motorcycle's key was then unceremoniously plopped onto the waiting palm, whereupon the repossessed keys were swiftly deposited into the cavernous depths of Satsuki's purse.

"So, where exactly is the sedan parked right now? Is it nearby?"

"Yeah, I managed to grab a space out front. It wasn't easy, but I pulled it off. This plaza is kinda small…"

"Very well then, let us move on. I shall be driving us all home, since I _actually_ possess a legal motor vehicle permit!" Ryuko, finding herself thoroughly admonished, proceeded to occupy herself by playing with the lone Sailor Uranus magical wand trinket on her keyring, now that it only had a single house key left on it otherwise. Someday she was going to secretly slip the matching Sailor Neptune bauble upon Satsuki's own keyring, she was sure of it.

"Matoi. Did you remember to bring it?" Satsuki's business baritone startled her into looking up. Ryuko flinched, then nodded wordlessly. She jerked a thumb towards the entrance, eager to start building up precious trust again. "I'll need the f-fob to, _uhmm_ \- to open the car door? I can run over and get it, so you don't hafta get up?"

The heiress tossed the fob into her sister's paws, nodding as she muttered " _Do not run with it._ You know better." Ryuko emphatically nodded, padding away towards the door to fulfil her solemn duty as a dutiful and now-law-abiding citizen.

Nonon's nose twitched delightfully, as she was thoroughly enjoying the sight of an ever-squirming Matoi Ryuko grovel and whine in front of Lady Kiryuin Satsuki, once again. "Nani sore? Get… _it_? Exactly what is she getting, Satsuki-sama? Is she fetching a switch so you can beat her underachieving ass with it? Because although it would _pain_ me so much to have to witness such a thing, I'd agree that the brat totally deserves it in this case!"

Arms still crossed as part of her instinctual authoritative form, Kiryuin Satsuki allowed her frown to turn into the slightest of grins. "You shall soon see. I have taken the liberty of obtaining something recently, a gesture of sincerest gratitude. This is a gift from myself, as well as Matoi. In fact, she helped make this possible." Nonon nervously tapped the table with one pink nail, keeping up with the frenetic beat within her suddenly-tight chest.

"Gift? You mean like a 'welcome home' present or something? Because I think you should maybe save that for tonight's party? I mean, I'm not _dictating_ to you or anything, Satsuki-sama! I just think it's odd for you to do this here, it's a tad bit unusual? I mean-"

"Hush, Nonon-san. No, this is not for your homecoming, although I am quite happy that you returned home safely! No, this can be seen as a reward for serving me so very faithfully, all these years. I have a desire to thank people more for their enduring presence in my life, since I could not have possibly accomplished what I did without my Elite Four…and it is high time I recognized that!"

Ryuko carefully maneuvered through the entrance and made her way back to their table, carrying a large cloth bag with the utmost of protective care. She made a grand show of removing a large box from the cloth sack in a grandiose manner, as if she were a game show hostess awarding the grand prize to a winning contestant. Satsuki rolled her eyes, then cleared her throat in an obvious message to knock it off, which Ryuko promptly did.

"Please, do open the box. I insist." Satsuki darted her open hand towards the container. Nonon proceeded to lift the lid, and she was greeted by the sight of an obviously antique violin case. She absently ran her fingers over the decorative studs on the worn lid, feeling the old leather's grain.

"Oh, wow. A…violin case? And an antique, no less! Thank you so much, it's very pretty! I truly appreciate this gift! I am most honored by-"

Nonon was caught mid-bow, and Satsuki tut tutted the girl as she patted her elbow. "Jakazure-sama, please wait a moment. While it's true this case is a part of the gift, the actual present resides within. If you please…?" The young conductor gulped nervously, and now it was Ryuko's turn to gleefully soak in the sight of a squirming, wordless Nonon. One nod to the affirmative, and she proceeded to gently open the lid.

The hinges creaked ever so slightly as it revealed the instrument encased within. Nonon audibly gasped as she viewed the delicate wood grain, the glowing yellow strings, and the elegant carving embedded within the tailpiece.

"It has a name and everything!" Ryuko blurted out suddenly, and Nonon's nostrils flared briefly at such a silly declaration. What did _that_ have to do with anything? Only _really_ expensive violins were ever…actually…named? Oh, _fuck_.

"N-nani? S-Satsuki-sama? What's this about a name? Is the rodent right about that? That-that would mean…" Satsuki handed her a small card as she nodded to the affirmative. "Indeed it does. Here. Please read it for yourself." Nonon took the card and slowly read the words ' _Lady Blunt Stradivarius_ ' embossed upon the paper's surface.

The card's lettering suddenly blurred as tears sprang up to block her vision. She audibly huffed, a burst of endorphins hammering her overwhelmed brain as her chest grew tight and heaved with the shortest of breaths. The vaguest of sensations called to her from afar, barely piercing the whooshing fog that now enveloped her mind. Hands. Those were hands, on her shoulders. Voices…there were voices as well. Kaleidoscope shapes sparkled and flitted about, distorted by a sheen of unexpected tears caught between slitted eyelashes. What the hell did _they_ want? She was busy freaking out right now…they would have to wait their turn.

"Wh-wh-wh-" was all Nonon could utter, as her lungs were currently paralyzed from all that was transpiring. Satsuki and Ryuko were both patting her on the back, squeezing her shoulders. A litany of concerned queries assaulted her sensitive ears, and it was all she could do to come back to the present. She blinked, then swept one palm across her watery eyes. Her hand was streaked with what was supposed to be waterproof pink mascara. Well, it sure wasn't tear-proof, now was it? Damned cheap-ass cosmetics!

"Is this for real? I can't…I can't accept _this_ , Lady Satsuki-sama! Is this a real _S-Stradivarius_? I mean, if this is real, th-then this must have cost m-millions!" Her eyes ping-ponged between the twin gazes that now worriedly stared back at her. Ryuko snorted, then mumbled low under her breath" _-pfft-_ Oh, only _millions_ …?" Nonon's eyebrows created an arc of intense shock, and it was only the kindest gaze from her dear friend Satsuki that managed to spool down her panic at all during that moment.

"Hey, fer me it's just payback. You don't gift just _anyone_ a musical instrument, and now, neither do I! Aw, I guess money does have certain perks, Sats! I can't recall a time when Lil' Nonners here ever choked up quite  this much! Heh heh, now that's worth the price of admission, right there!"

Satsuki smiled. "Yes, this is true. Ryuko and I split the cost of this, but it was by far more her than me. Her financial clout far outweighs my own, now." Nonon slow-blinked, unable to process such a concept. Pointing one pink nail at Ryuko's form, she repeatedly jabbed an unbelieving motion out as she whispered to the tall Kiryuin. "This _delinquent_ is worth more than _you_? How the hell could that possibly happen?"

She shrugged. "Ah. You see, she wisely never touched her money once she entered into a multitude of lucrative patent agreements with Isshin Aerospace. Inumuta set her up with some very well-informed investment plans, and that, combined with the impressive inheritance of our father's own well-informed stock choices? Well…you just so happen to be looking at the wealthiest women in Japan right now."

"Holy cra-I-I mean…congratulations, Ryu-er… _Lady_ Matoi? I wasn't aware of that fact at all!"

"Listen, Pinky. I will kick your fuckin' ass to the moon if I ever catch you treating me differently because of that! You got that, you little pink shrimp roll? I'm the same old Ryuko. I don't want or need any hypocritical false-faces schmoozing up my life, get it? I don't care how many numbers are in my fucking bank balance, and I don't want anyone else caring about that, either!"

"Uh-understood. Sorry, Ryuko-sa-I mean… _asshole_. It won't happen again, I promise."

"Right back at ya, bitch! So, back to the business at hand. I said it before, and I'll say it again. What a weird-ass name for an instrument!"

"S-shut up, you savage! It's a thing of pure beauty, it deserves such a name! It's way better than you naming your guitar 'Mjolnir'!"

"Hey! Don't fuck with the god of thunder! I'll-"

" **Matoi**! _Behave_!"

"Urk-sorry, onee-san. I'll shut up now…I _guess_."

"See that you do. Jakuzure-san…please accept this. It would mean so very much to us, to me. I cannot force you, of course! However, I urge you to consider this as my way of balancing the scales. This is something I feel I must do. I need you to know how much your presence has affected me throughout the years."

Nonon sighed. She couldn't bear the thought of disappointing Satsuki. That, plus _it was a motherfucking Stradivarius_. She was wet in several locations right now, only some of which were currently visible in plain sight. Oh, just _wait_ until she told Marcus-sama about this…!

"All right. I accept. Thank you both, this is the most heartfelt thing anyone has ever done for me, truly! I-look, I know I can be somewhat snobby and antagonistic at times, and I-"

" _*snort*_ Oh sure, ' _at times_ '…"

" _Quiet, you rodent_! Anyways, I just wanted to say that I am proud to have been able to serve in such a capacity. I always knew the stakes, and I always believed that following you was the right thing to do, and I still do. None of us would be here if it wasn't for that fact. So, thanks. I am honored."

Nonon bowed low, a deep respect from within pulling at her heart's gravity. Satsuki responded with her own deep bow as well, eyes closed in solemn courtesy. Ryuko just nodded her head in deference of the moment. Bowing like that was for wusses, in her esteemed opinion.

Ryuko clapped her hands together, breaking up the stuffy atmosphere with a healthy chuckle. "All right, let's blow this joint! Shorty, you get to carry your precious violin! Don't go dropping it or anything!"

" _*tsk!*_ As if!" Nonon muttered, cradling the case as though it were her first born. She murmured under her breath "Don't worry, my Lady. She won't get her grubby paws on you anymore!"

Ryuko leaned in close, chuckling low to herself as she whispered to the pint-size musician "Oh, chill out, Pinky. Like I didn't already finger-fuck her before we came here today."

"Get away from her, you _bitch_!" Nonon gasped as she pulled the antique violin case away from the leering Matoi now hovering before her.

"Oh, yeah… _the violin_. Riiiight.  That's what I meant, sure…" If Nonon had any sort of cardiac issues, she would have found out right then and there as the true meaning of this most vulgar comment suddenly hit home.

"Nonon? Are you unwell?" Satsuki asked, noting the girl's stunned expression. Nonon shook her head jerkily, shock still muddling her senses as she tried to clear her consciousness of the images now flashing before her: Ryuko's leering grin had never been a participant in her idle sexy-time daydreams before now. Satsuki's glare turned angry just then, and she stood up to her full height and pointed at the lurking Matoi who was slinking away towards the entrance.

" ** _MATOI RYUKO!_** " Satsuki spat out suddenly, and the girl in question froze rigid at the sheer power of this exclamation. Ryuko fumbled, words failing her as she found herself nailed to the spot by the Kiryuin overlord's searchlight.

"Uh…I can explain!" she sputtered, one panicked eye peeking out from her wild mop of unruly hair. Satsuki extended her hand out, palm facing up. Ryuko looked at the inquisitive fingers as they grabbed slowly at thin air. Something clicked, and Ryuko groaned as she sadly handed over the car's key fob once more.

" _Thank_ you." Satsuki primly responded, marching out towards the car as she hooked her arm under Nonon's limb, sweeping the flush-faced girl out with her. Ryuko tried in vain to hide her evil grin, but she found herself quite powerless to do so. Needling Nonon was becoming one of her favorite hobbies, to say the very least.


	12. - Catharsis -

\- Catharsis –

"The move went quite well, we are here now in the new place. No, she has yet to see that in action…I thought it needed more time to reconfigure? Oh, so it _is_ fully operational? Excellent! Ryuko will be most pleased! I think I'll surprise her with that tonight! Oh yes, I know you'd like to see her face. Well, privacy _is_ paramount, Inumuta-san. Camera access is _only_ to be granted in case of an emergency. I'm sure you understand...? Yes, and I thank you for it. Well, we are off to view the drive's contents now, so wish us luck. Hmm? Yes, well…what is the Kiryuin family without a hearty dose of familial trauma? I…no, that was a joke. We will be fine, I assure you. Ah…thank you, Hōka. I appreciate that. Yes, I will work on my joke delivery. Of course! I am trying to slowly incorporate that into my life. It's not easy. In fact, I am finding that humor is _the_ most challenging aspect of any human interaction! Mmm, yes…perhaps, over time. Ha, no…Ryuko certainly has me beat there! Ah…don't tell her I actually  said that, however. Oh, I have to go, she has finally arrived. Thank you once again for your brilliant work! I shall speak to you soon. Farewell, Inumuta-san."

"Oi, was that Geek Boy? Tell him the doorbell chime sucks."

"We can just change it, you know. It's programmable."

"No shit? Ooo-ooh! Can I have it scream out loud for Halloween?"

"Negative. I don't need _that_ kind of stress in my life."

"…aw."

"Come now, Ryuko. It is time."

" _*sigh*_ Yeah. Okay…"

"Are you ready for this?"

"Nope. Not even close."

"Do you wish to wait? We can postpone this for another time, if you feel that you aren't quite ready."

"Um...no, let's get it over with. I'll _never_ be ready for this, if ya leave it for me to decide on my own. But I do recognize that this ain't just  my past, or else I would probably put it off forever. We do this together, or not at all."

"I agree. Together, there is nothing we cannot face. Come, imouto-san. Let us discover who our father really was, once and for all."

"Yeah…together!"

"Would you like to do the honors?"

"Naw, you go ahead and unlock it. Doesn't matter who starts this off, really."

A thumb was pressed upon the rectangular amber pad on the data drive's rugged case. It glowed briefly, a golden arc sweeping past delicate whorls and ridges as a laser sensor confirmed the fingerprint and DNA identity of one Satsuki, Kiryuin. The computer popped up a notification as the drive was successfully mounted, whereupon a program manifested itself on the monitor. Scores of video thumbnails filled the screen as a helpful splash page provided a brief overview of the media player controls.

The interface was simple. Colored bars denoted specific sections of the video journals, based upon subject matter: references to Ryuko were tinged with red, blue was reserved for Satsuki, and notable life fiber research information was represented in gray. Two pairs of blue eyes scanned over this information as each girl silently drew their own initial observations about this data.

Ryuko was immediately stung by how little color was actually displayed under the videos: long swaths of gray were dotted with occasional slivers of red or blue. It was painfully obvious to anyone who glanced at it just where his primary focus had lain...namely, his ever-precious research. Cold eyes narrowed to glittering slits as her nostrils flared with hurt. She wasn't surprised by this at all, but salt was never welcome in a still-fresh wound.

In contrast to this, Satsuki noted how little red there was, in comparison to the blue that was indicated in the time streams. Was this what her existence could be reduced to, after all was said and done? A paltry footnote? A trial run, a prototype used to set the stage for the real thing? Was she just a pale imitation, after all? If she was intended to merely function as the control in her father's hybrid experimentations, she could at least take pride in the amount of control she managed to exert upon her own destiny, after all was said and done.

Satsuki sorted the videos by date, then omitted the ones that were strictly research related. Hundreds of entries were suddenly narrowed down to just a scant handful. Wordlessly, she clicked upon the first file in the video series.

 **録画** **_** **ファイル** **_** **22_12_04_19_06_1996**

The sisters found their respective breathing to be involuntarily stilled as the first video started up. A familiar face filled the screen as the camera autofocused upon it. A shock of wild blond hair stood tall over a youthful, determined expression as the man fiddled with the video recorder before him. Geniuses, it seemed, could never be bothered to control their unruly hair. He leaned back and addressed the camera with conviction and authority.

" _*ahem*_ My name is Kiryuin Soichiro. I am a scientist, specializing in the various applications of life fibers. This journal will serve as a record of my personal thoughts and observations during my ongoing research. My stated goal, here and now, is to save the life of my wife, Kiryuin Ragyo. Regrettably, she has been contaminated with an alien life fiber infection, an unfortunate side-effect of her attempts to symbiotically merge with the life fiber creatures, and I need to find a way to try and purge her of the life fibers' cumulative influence. I suspect that it has now warped her mind; she is slowly being driven insane with religious fervor and life fiber worship! As a result, it is destroying my family and has left me a lonely and broken man. I love her. I miss her. God help me, I may be forced to kill my own wife to save the planet."

Sad though his words were, Soichiro didn't allow these emotions to register externally. He continued with practiced, clinical detachment as he outlined his purposes.

"I have established this secret research facility, a fall back plan in case things go sour and I am forced to flee permanently. My research work for REVOCS continues for the time being, if only to observe the enemy up close. I cannot allow myself to become complacent and assume that Ragyo's condition will improve without my assistance. From what I have calculated, this level of life fiber hybridization is most likely irreversible…and there are also potential indications that it may even lead to the eventual death of the host. I will find a way to combat this menace! I must, for the sake of my dear wife, as well as that of planet Earth itself! My rebellion commences here and now!"

Satsuki heard a small gasp, and she turned to catch Ryuko quickly covering her mouth, eyes wide with sudden shock. "S-Satsuki! Did you catch that part about-"

Satsuki swiftly caught Ryuko's hand, squeezing it with urgent comfort as she sought to reel her sibling back from the brink of molten panic. "Do _not_ jump to conclusions, Ryuko-san! Let us hear all the evidence. It does no good to needlessly panic at this point!"

A nearly inaudible "Yeah...right. O-okay..." was uttered by the shaken girl, and they both turned back towards the screen, hands interlocked in mutual solidarity. The segment has ended there, so the next one was immediately queued up.

 **録画** **_** **ファイル** **_** **23_58_19_10_9_** **1996**

Soichiro had returned, a look of worry now plastered upon his face. Work had obviously progressed on the secret hideout in the meantime: banks of computers and machines filled areas that were empty in the previous video.

"This is Doctor Kiryuin Soichiro, reporting in once again. Things have changed. I had suspicions about Ragyo's true goals, and I am finding that I can no longer trust her intentions. I eventually pieced it together…the plan. Their _true_ plan. My God, I cannot describe how utterly horrified I am...that I had a hand in the early stages of planning this; I was unaware of the true purpose of it all. She means to take over the entire damned _planet_ with those fibers! I tried to dissuade Ragyo from further live experimentation, but she is determined to find her 'perfect example of supreme symbiosis' one way or the other. She will stop at nothing to achieve this goal. She...insisted that we use our own daughter as a test subject. My beautiful Satsuki! I was convinced at the time that I was helping to create the next stage of human evolution, and that I was creating a supreme being in the process. But now…while my dear Satsuki _did_ survive the process, it was ultimately unsuccessful. The fibers failed to activate…the resistance must be too high already. Damn it all! I have inflicted all that pain upon her for _naught_."

Equal amounts of pride and regret warred over his contorted features. One hand nervously swept back through thick swatches of hair as his face momentarily brightened.

"We have another child on the way now, another girl. She is due soon. Normally I would be ecstatic, but I have the distinct feeling that Ragyo intends to experiment upon this one as well. I'm finding myself conflicted at the prospect of this. While it is true that these fibers have immense potential…I feel that we have acted rashly in using our very own children. Ragyo's insistence that her DNA is absolutely crucial to the hybridization process notwithstanding, and I suppose even I cannot argue with the compelling test results in that regard… _what if she is wrong_? As a scientist, I need to know if this is the way of the future, but…as a father? What if I am _not_ creating the perfect human, but an unholy monster? What then? What sort of life am I sentencing my future daughter to, in that cold laboratory of mine? I must search my soul for answers, for time grows short."

 **録画** **_** **ファイル** **_** **14_55_18_31_10_** **1996**

Soichiro's face was grim, eyes bulging out in equal amounts of anger and worry. One fist fell into his outstretched palm as he barked out his feelings to the camera, hands shaking in unfathomable fury.

"She did it. She finally proved where her allegiances lie…and they are not with _our_ species. This fiber implantation was deemed to be unsuccessful as well, so Ragyo simply tossed aside our newborn child as though she were a fouled Petri dish! That soulless _bitch!_ Ah, but I have managed to extract success out of this tragedy! That's right, the child is _alive_ after all! Ha ha! Yes! I managed to save her from certain destruction: I rushed to secure her before the incinerator was triggered. She suffered a blow to her scalp in the process, but is otherwise unharmed! Interestingly enough, I first thought it was to be a fatal wound, yet it has healed in record time! I believe this has spurred on the early manifestation of the life fibers' synchronized activity, this sudden trauma. They rise up to protect the host, as I suspected. As a result, her hair follicles are now coming in crimson in that very spot! An utterly fascinating phenomenon, the likes of which I have never seen before! This is direct evidence that her potential as a life fiber enhanced being could eventually rival or even _surpass_ that of Ragyo herself! To have autonomic access to active life fiber power harnessing so very soon...astonishing! Ah, my exiled little girl, my most secret weapon. She is a survivor, truly she is..."

The doctor sat down, hands now crossed before him in a most calm manner. His eyes took on a somewhat fond demeanor as his voice developed a sentimental glow.

"Now I originally wanted to name her 'Jun', because what follows May, but June, yes? Ha-ha! Ah, you see…in English, 'Satsuki' means the fifth month of May and June would be the sixth month, so naturally it follows to have one follow the…oh, but that obscure little observation would be lost upon most, and if I call her that now, Ragyo might be able to sniff out her true identity at some point in the future. I know for a fact that I had made that suggestion before to Ragyo at one point, and that woman has a scarily accurate memory for the most mundane of details. No, I will call her… _Ryuko_. My precious little red thread of fate…she will be clad in revenge and more, in due time. I will raise her here, with me. This will pose a challenge, to raise a child in secret while seeking to undermine REVOCS, but I am nothing if not resourceful! Ah yes, Ragyo will live to regret tossing away this child so callously! I will personally see to _that_ myself."

Ryuko absently fondled her red streak, eyes brimming with tears as she otherwise held a blank stare towards her father's face on the video screen. " _Jun_. My name was supposed to be Jun..." Satsuki squeezed her hand lovingly, but only received a weak spasm of recognition in reply.

Satsuki whispered "Do you want me to stop here?" to which Ryuko shook her head. She hoarsely whispered back "No. Let's see what else Dad has to say about his cute little revenge plot. 'Bout time we learned the whole truth… _straight from the jackasses' mouth_."

 ** _…_**

 ** _エラー読み取りファイル_** ** _!_**

 ** _破損が検出されました！_**

 ** _次のファイルへ_** ** _スキップ_** ** _…_**

 ** _…_**

 **録画** **_** **ファイル** **_14_55_18_14_02_2000**

A pale, haggard man hunched over the desk. He stared off into the distance, one finger tapping impatiently upon the desk's surface. His stooped, pained posture and shaggy beard and hair suggested a man of possibly transitory living arrangements and employment. His face made of stone, Doctor Matoi Isshin now stared directly into the camera's lens, seething anger and maniacal intensity making itself obvious upon his face. His voice was cold gravel as he croaked out his latest thoughts.

"Doctor Kiryuin Soichiro…is dead. He was assassinated by his wife, Kiryuin Ragyo, on this very evening. He made the decision to finally break his cover from within REVOCS, secure his research materials and abscond with his secret child to this underground laboratory base. Regrettably, he will never draw breath again. I, Doctor Matoi Isshin, will now carry on his legacy. She had someone blow up the fucking car… _with him in it_. I know it was one of her underlings...probably that savage, honorless weasel Kuroido Takiji. This reeks of his backstabbing style! Of course, it was to be expected at that point and countermeasures were employed. Still, this ultimate betrayal…it hurt in ways body armor could not hope to prevent."

He winced, and his hand darted out to cover his throbbing heart. Yet he stopped just before he touched his heaving chest. His hand formed a twisted claw, one index finger pointing out in shaking fury at the camera lens.

"It hurt… _him_. I feel no such pain, however! Nor shall I be allowed to feel any sort of sentimental attachment from here on out. Weakness! No, I have a job to do, and I cannot be distracted by such petty emotions! I need to kill that damned Kiryuin woman and save the planet. Matoi Isshin need not worry about anything else! He has this wonderful lab at his disposal, under the home he once intended to retire to, once all the work was done…"

He smacked his head, forgetfulness rearing its ugly head. "Did I mention that? The irony of it all? This lab…it's under the very home Soichiro purchased in secret a long time ago! It was to be the perfect retirement home for him and his lovely wife! Yes, a secret house for a secret desire…this was during a time when he thought he could actually convince his wife to leave that accursed company and live in this love nest with him! Ah, but once he saw the ridiculously huge mansion that awaited her as an inheritance, part of her own family's unholy legacy as wardens of the Primordial Life Fiber itself? It made _this_ little place seem like a tin shack in comparison! So he forgot about it, naturally. He meant to eventually sell it, but it's a good thing he never had the chance! Otherwise where would _I_ sit and plot her untimely demise, yes? Where else but the place where he once dreamed of being alone with her…back when she was merely _human_?"

He smiled ruefully, memories bogging down his stolid demeanor. He motioned towards his unkempt beard, his thatch of unruly hair. "Ryuko, of course, was confused by all of... _this_. 'Daddy' looks different now! Damn, she is a precocious one, that girl. I found myself telling her that I just got old, that's simply what happens when you get old. Blast and hellfire! I guess I got old when I wasn't looking and slipped up, didn't I? Letting emotions get in the way of a job that absolutely needs to be done? Yes, I just got old and slow when I wasn't looking, that's all. May as well play the part, now…'Old Man Isshin' will see this plot through to the bitter end, no matter  what."

He snapped off the camera with a harsh click. Ryuko flinched nervously, as though a heated spark had fallen from the camera to alight upon her bare skin. Satsuki made concerned eye contact with her, which Ryuko responded to by manufacturing and selling the fakest grin ever crafted.

"Ha, ya see that? Now _there's_ Dad's famous temper! I'll betcha that's where I get it from, right?" Satsuki shrugged weakly, a most neutral and inert offering in the midst of this volatile puddle of emotional gasoline.

"Pay it no mind. You have come such a very long way since then, and I can only see a better future for you in that regard. You are the _only_ captain in charge of your destiny. Always remember that, dear heart. You have the power to overcome _any_ specters of the past, Ryuko. I know this to be true."

A red streak bobbed up and down, buffeted by the young girl's hasty agreement. _'Think positive. That's the way to handle this. It's what_ _she_ _would do! And if that don't work, fake it until it's true. That's what_ _I_ _would do…'_

The young Matoi smiled brightly, then reached over and maneuvered the mouse to click upon the next video, eager to prove just how brave she could be to her elder sibling. Teeth were secretly gritted though, and Ryuko pretended that Satsuki couldn't possibly sense her coiled tension in the least. It wasn't the first time she employed this sort of façade, and she supposed it probably wouldn't be the last.

 **録画** **_** **ファイル** **_** **09_31_24_31_07_** **2001**

The camera focused upon a glass container. Crimson swirls flitted about inside, ceaselessly probing the walls for a way out. The tip of a pen came close to the glass, whereupon the fibers bunched up and formed a tight knot in the immediate proximity, instinctually seeking a way to envelop the moving object and ascertain its energy level.

"My life's work. This synthetic kamui of mine…its creation, its objective, its final purpose: it will serve as the ultimate guardian for my own daughter. Her shield and her sword! Yet it will not have the savage, overwhelming insidiousness, the barbarian crudeness of Ragyo's own creation. I will be spending an enormous amount of time inserting a facsimile of my own personality within it. This will serve as an emotional buffer, to acclimate herself to the uniform. I believe this sort of bond will prove to be most crucial! Also…I suppose it is an effort to take care of my child the way I always wanted to, if things had turned out differently and we had been afforded the luxury of a normal family life? Of course this personality imprint will also serve to negate the tactical advantage of ' _Experimental Prototype X: Pure Fiber Content Symbiote_ ', which will hereafter be referred to by the REVOCS Corporation's internal designation of ' _Junketsu_ '. _HA!_ That sick bitch...her and her obsession with _purity_! The irony of submitting to an alien, of somehow becoming more 'pure' by tainting oneself with exposure to such a creature is not lost on me, I'll tell you that for free! All lies, but her poisoned mind can't tell anymore, now can it? No, Ragyo is now permanently infected with an alien influence...I can no longer assume I can save her in any way, so I will _not_. It is, in all actuality, far too late to reverse the hybridization ritual. As a scientist, I cannot ignore the overwhelming evidence. But as a husband, I am still having a hard time accepting this fact. I have failed Ragyo, my wife...I must destroy her. I still love her, deep down inside. But I cannot stay my executioner's axe! What has been put in motion by my guilty hand must be stopped by it as well. May God damn me for my terrible actions…for I sought to usurp His power and wield it as my own. Such is my punishment, for my damnable hubris."

He tapped thoughtfully upon the glass experiment pod again as the life fibers swirled and writhed within. "This… _this_ will be the instrument of my salvation, and Ragyo's final downfall! I will end her with her own castaway child, clad in these fibers of my own creation. Almost has a poetic irony about it, one might think…"

A squeaking noise distracted him just then, and a small white mouse stuck a twitching nose out from his lab coat's breast pocket. "Ahh…hello there, Oeufcoque! You have come out for a visit! Well now, let's get you some raisins to reward you for such bravery, my little assistant! Yes, come here now…"

The video ended as his hand switched off the camera. Ryuko's face flushed red with frustration, a single tear streaking down one flushed cheek. "That fucking mouse…even _it_ got more love and attention from him than I did! I swear…"

Satsuki reached out and gently tweaked Ryuko's flaring nose, to which she looked up with a confused expression. She gently offered to her dearest love a spontaneous and crafty gamble that she hoped would extinguish such inflammatory emotions for the time being.

"Hey there, sweetheart…look down here. You see this? Why I just so happen to have a tattoo of a mouse, right here on my inner hip! Did you see it yet, Ryuko? Yes, I would wager that you missed it entirely." Mouth left ajar with a flurry of flabbergasted puckering, Ryuko's mouth wordlessly crafted a litany of confused jabbering as she tried and failed to process such an odd comment coming from her uptight _sister_ , of all people. Her unbelieving eyes darted down to Satsuki's index finger, which slowly pulled down the hem of her slacks. Seeing no new ink adorning the alabaster skin now unveiled before her, she then looked back up quizzically to Satsuki's oddly grinning visage.

"Um…Sats? What the heck are you-"

"Oh dear, you were too slow. My pussy ate it!" The absurd gag was delivered with precise and daring comedic timing: Ryuko nearly fainted at the sheer impact of such a preposterous idea emanating from the unlikeliest of entities. Anger was immediately dissolved in the presence of such humorous solvent, and Ryuko subsequently dissolved into a fit of hysterics as a reaction. She clung to Satsuki's shoulder as she belted out peals of riotous laughter, and Satsuki could only hold steady and be a faithful rock in this moment of their incomprehensible life's turbulence.

"Feel better?" Satsuki finally whispered to the still-chuckling lass as she swept frenetic curls of hair away from Ryuko's tear-slicked cheeks.

"Ow. M-my sides! Ah, y-yes. I'm better now, thanks to you and your surreal sense of weirdo humor. I swear, I didn't expect something like _that_ outta you!"

"Ah, but the unexpected attack is the most savory and successful kind, in my opinion. Now, do you want to wait and continue this at another time? I would understand."

"Ah…no, I'm good. I promise I can get through this…with you here at my side? Ain't nothin' that can hurt me in that case, right?"

"Hmm. We shall see, Ryuko. We shall see."

 **録画** **_** **ファイル** **_** **08_13_28_30_09_** **2001**

The eccentric scientist balanced a single red thread upon his palm. It obediently slithered back into a small container as he nodded to himself, pleased at the successful interaction. He turned towards the lens, an air of secrecy tinging his speech.

"I have gathered a small team of co-conspirators. My former student, Mikisugi Aikurō, has decided to throw in with my daring plot to overthrow REVOCS and save the world. He is an utterly hopeless virgin, but is also very, very smart. His friend Tsumugu will be acting as my bodyguard, as well as with covert security for this location…he is not so smart, and he certainly has a troublesome temperamental streak, but he _is_ very steadfast in his reliability. Now his sister, Kinue…ah, _she_ will be a most important component to my work! Her talents will make her an excellent kamui program interface expert. Her own work has pioneered a controllable fiber-human link that I will be using in my plans to create a kamui that will obey the wearer's every command _without_ fear of being subjugated! At last, humans will finally be in control of their own destiny. So, humans obeying the will of clothing is so damned important, eh, Kiryuin Ragyo? Dress them all in your clothing to fit them with _your_ invisible reins? Well then, consider this to be the grand opening of a _nudist beach_! In your honor, of course...you megalomaniacal **_bitch_**."

At this, he pulled out a tumbler and a shot glass. He poured and subsequently consumed a dose of his personal favorite self-prescribed medication, whiskey. After taking a brief moment to savor the warm glow, he then pointed towards the camera, shot glass still in his grasp as one index finger jabbed out for emphasis.

"I have encouraged Mikisugi to pursue a relationship with Kinue. That young fool...must I point out _everything_ to him? I needed to emphasize to him that love is important, it is vital! Hell, it is the crucial catalyst for life on this planet! I believe that this will give him the confidence he needs to be a better researcher and a better _man_ as well. He is simply too timid, he takes no risks! And his research suffers as a result! Damn it all, this I cannot abide. He has the skills, he just needs the guts to  use them! I will make him into a _real_ man, one who can handle risks and love with equal tenacity and skill!"

He slammed down the shot glass, then motioned towards the camera with one shaking finger. "Love…love is the reason we do anything at _all_."

 **録画** **_** **ファイル** **_** **11_01_44_03_08_** **2002**

This video started with a blur of motion, the camera bobbing and weaving as a cacophony of cursing and shuffling distorted the sensitive microphone's feed. Finally it was steadied, and the bloodshot, puffy eyes of Dr. Isshin stared glassily at the lens. Hands quivering, he mumbled as he poured himself a drink: it was painfully obvious that this was not the first drink of his evening, either.

"I have made a _grievous_ error. Terrible! I...poor Kinue...she...there was an incident in the testing area. Too much blood was accessed and controlled at once! It burned out her entire body, consumed it to the point of utter huskification! Damn it, why didn't I _realize_ this would happen? It needs to be down to a _singular_ point of blood access to ease the rate of transformation and proper power transfer. Adding multiple access points only increases the rate at which the blood is manipulated, absorbed and converted. It triggered an unstoppable chain reaction! Oh God, the girl is...she is _dead_ now, utterly consumed by those damnable alien threads. My careless research has now cost _another_ person the love of their life. I am such a stupid fool! I am cursed by association with those unholy fibers, this I now know! Damn my soul, this is all  my fault. My fault...Kinue's last words were 'Please continue the experiments'…they will _haunt_ me until my dying day. She knew the risks, and I will always seek to honor her memory, her sacrifice. But the fight…the fight goes on."

 **録画** **_** **ファイル** **_** **23_21_33_05_08_** **2002**

His face hidden in shadow, the anguished scientist quietly considered the Newton's cradle now upon his desk. One shining ball was slowly raised up, and then released. The clacking noise filled the air with a monotonous soundtrack as he considered the effects of other, more complex mechanisms that were being set into motion by his hand as well.

"I cannot handle this, the terrible guilt. She…she knows something bad happened, I can tell. It is time. Ryuko…must be sent away. I cannot be responsible for raising a child any more, not when my actions have already cost one their very life! Boarding school will be good for her. I have selected certain schools which meet a very specific criteria: ones with a high student-to-teacher ratio, which will be most likely to expose Ryuko to a minimal amount of direct concern. The girl will most probably be singled out, bullied, tortured, abused...but I have already ascertained that she will rise up to meet these challenges. Yes, she has that stubborn spark about her, the will to persevere! This will serve to toughen her up, harden her for the tasks I will be calling upon her to one day accomplish. She will need to be crafted into a hard person who makes harder decisions. She will need to be capable of the task of matricide...possibly even of fratricide as well. _This must be done._ "

At this, he leaned back and proceeded to brood, a dark expression upon his face. Fingers drummed upon the desk as he thought hard about his past and future actions and their terrible consequences.

"Her sister. Hmm. I attempted to find a viable way to take Satsuki with me as well that day, but Ragyo would have scoured the entire Earth in finding her again. I could not risk my work being exposed at such a crucial time. I could not secure a way to properly abduct her…that soulless bastard Kuroido Takiji is always watching everyone! I'm certain that he was behind the assassination attempt as well...it is his style of doing things. That treacherous, lowlife fiend! A fat viper, a disgusting toady! Damn his black soul!" He slammed his fist down upon the desk, the blow echoing loudly in the room as he hunched over it, jaws clenched in purest fury.

"I still remember it. The moment I ruined my sweet Satsuki's life. Once I told her the truth about the Junketsu kamui, about the world, of her mother's true evil? Well...I saw her beautiful, innocent soul die. I snuffed it out like a little candle. I could see it happen before my very eyes! I crushed her chances at a normal life in that horrible moment of truth. Satsuki, my most beautiful, darling girl. I am so very, very sorry. I wished only to bequeath a warm, caring world to you. Oh, how I have _failed_ you, my precious baby…I've utterly _failed_ you…"

A brief nod was the only evidence that Satsuki registered this comment at all, her lips pursed tight to keep any secretly lurking opinions at bay.

"I know that Ragyo will turn her into a soulless soldier, of this I am certain. It's her modus operandi: everyone, everything is just an asset, a pawn, a tool. Regrettably, she will mold Satsuki in her own image. I can only pray that Satsuki would perhaps remember my love somehow, but I wouldn't hesitate to eliminate her, if necessary. I cannot hesitate, no matter the personal cost! The stakes are great, and so must be our sacrifice."

Ryuko stole a brief look over at Satsuki's face, expecting perhaps signs of turmoil or even anger at this cold proclamation. Instead, she observed a placid calm ruling over her sister's expression. She nudged Satsuki's arm, to which the young Kiryuin responded by making eye contact and smiling warmly. The video was paused to allow Ryuko a moment to speak.

"Hey. You all right over there? I guess Dad was a real bastard, huh? He royally screwed us over, the _both_ of us!"

"I understand how he felt. I have no choice but to forgive him."

"How…how the _fuck_ can you say that? Forgive _him_ for treating us this way, like goddamned scientific puppets?"

"Ryuko...I must. Or else I must be forced to concede that there should be no forgiveness for my own terrible actions, either! I, too, manipulated others as mere tools to further my own goals. The stakes were the same: global annihilation was the ultimate price of failure. He was right in that there was no real choice in the matter. Ragyo would have eventually seen through any external trap or subterfuge...kidnapping me at that point would have caused Ragyo to launch a scorched-earth campaign to find me! He needed to leave me behind…defeating her from within was the only way. He certainly knew what he was doing, planting the seeds of rebellion within me. He knowingly planted them in you as well, he just employed a different method to do it in your case."

"Yeah. Right. Sure! That's just great. Yay, that's slated for television this fall! 'The Case of the Booby-Trapped Kids'...oh boy, that sure sounds like a real heartwarming story! Damn it, I just can't get over the sheer... _ruthlessness_ of his attitude?! How could he be so blasted cold towards his own damned children? That cruel, sadistic fucker! Boy, I tell ya, I can't believe that he was so fucking...um, Sats? Where are you... _Satsuki?! NO!_ "

Satsuki suddenly sprang up and darted from the office, her pumps clattering down the hallway as she ran. Ryuko quickly followed, whereupon she found herself swooping in to track Satsuki's impromptu flight into the master bedroom, where a number of personal effects had yet to be unpacked from their recent move. Ryuko was just bursting with questions, but these were all dismissed when she saw Satsuki's face, hovering over the stuffed bear held tightly within her grasp.

It was not the fearless, calm demeanor of Lady Kiryuin Satsuki, ultimate warlord and ruthless military leader-savant. It was the haunted face of little five-year-old Satsuki, heir apparent to Kiryuin Soichiro's ruthless revenge schemes. Her blank stare did nothing to hint at the turmoil within, yet Ryuko got the message anyways, clear as day. This phenomenon, now playing out before her? It was guilt-triggered time travel, and she had to approach it most carefully for Satsuki's sake.

Satsuki murmured to Ryuko, voice dull and flat as she spoke. "Are we a good family or a bad family? Is it our fate to be…bad?" She hugged the bear in a death grip, waiting for the response with hushed heartache and swelling panic.

"We're good, both of us are _good_ , I swear to you!" Satsuki's face slowly crumbled as she curled up on the bed with the bear drawn to her chest, a life preserver of comfort as she drowned in the past.

"Samurai Bear. He s-still smells of popcorn...from the day at the festival. Remember that, Ryuko? You won him for me." Ryuko moved to cuddle with her, comforting Satsuki as she reminisced about the day in question. She had used her immense strength and street knowledge to bowl over several trick milk cans, and Samurai Bear was the end result... _'Spoils of war'_ , Ryuko had muttered under her breath to the rattled booth attendant as she gleefully claimed the top prize, chortling even as Satsuki proceeded to nitpick the bear's slightly inaccurate period dress and accessories. Satsuki still found herself to be moved, however, when Ryuko then surrendered the glamorous prize into her surprised arms.

 _"_ _Ya know what, Sats? Sometimes I wonder...why are fireworks so darned pretty? I know that probably sounds dumb and all, but humans are always so fascinated by them. I don't think there are too many critters that would be as enthralled as we are right now, ya know? They are essentially just big-assed spark explosions, right?"_

 _"_ _Mmm-hmm. Sparkles..." Satsuki murmured dreamily to herself, and Ryuko cocked one wondering eye towards her sister...who, she just realized, had actually been staring at her this entire time, rather than focusing on the fireworks show now blazing out before them in glorious Technicolor._

 _Her voice husky and subdued, Satsuki offered her private thoughts to the blushing youth next to her. "I read once that humans as a species are attuned to be attracted to sparkling things, presumably to locate sources of water from a distance. For primitives, to find sparkles meant to find sustenance as well."_

 _Ryuko rolled her eyes, flustered at the focused gaze that was now obviously directed at her own self. "Yeah, that makes sense I guess, but the fireworks are kinda, y'know...that way?"_

 _"_ _They are far prettier when reflected in your eyes, Ryuko-chan."_

 _"_ _O-oh, yeah? Well, uh…eyes_ _are_ _the windows to the soul, or so I hear. Be careful! Lots of explosions in here too, behind my windows…"_

 _"_ _Mmm. These beautiful windows of yours...within them, I find my own sustenance."_

Ryuko found herself suddenly jarred from the warmth of these fond memories by the very real sound of Satsuki's plaintive, cracking voice. "Please don't hate me for my choices, Ryuko-chan. I did the very best I could. I'm sorry I turned out just like Father...a ruthless and cruel person."

"You are _not_ ruthless or cruel! You just...look, you take things very seriously, that's true. You have had to do some really hard things, make some impossibly tough decisions. _Someone_ had to! You did a wonderful and amazing job that no one else could have possibly done, okay? Only the people who _didn't_ know the real score would accuse you of such things, all right? I'm just glad you had your Elites to back you up...they knew the score, you know...the _real_ deal? That is what really matters! People who are judging your behavior without knowing all the details? They can just fuck off, all of 'em! No one has the right to make that call unless they know everything...and everyone who _did_ know? None of them would ever say you were cruel or ruthless. _None of them_. Those people know who you really are, Satsuki-sama...you're just a big ol' softy at heart, when people  really get to know you! I know it's not easy for you to express that, and it probably never will be. But please understand that those of us in the know _all_ love you for who you really are, even if you sound gruff and bossy and stuff all the time...we know what you really mean, what sentiments truly lurk in your heart. We love you for it, I can promise you that!"

Satsuki took a few moments to process this information. It had the indelible ring of truth, to be certain. She sniffled, sighed, and then slowly released her stuffed hostage back to his cardboard box. Her face was sullen and tired, and her distracted state suggested that a hug could possibly work wonders right about now. Ryuko promptly applied this healing salve in great quantities, to which the young Kiryuin responded by breaking out in the slightest of smiles. Eyes closed, she focused upon the close proximity, the heartbeat, and the odd combination of motor oil and strawberries that signified the presence of Matoi Ryuko within her ever-grateful arms.

"Thank you, Ryuko-chan. I'm truly sorry I bolted like that. It was sheer cowardice, and I am ashamed to have acted in such a reprehensible manner. Please forgive me."

Ryuko responded by squeezing just a bit tighter. "Of course. And I'm sorry I said what I did. I swear up and down that I wasn't drawing any parallels between you and him! I was just so mad at him fer bein' just a total, absolute jerkface. He coulda been a whole lot better about all of this, ya know...he just chose to be all super spiteful and stuff. I ain't gonna ever let myself be that bitter towards people! I think that's totally arrogant and rude, to be honest. Shit, who am I to pass judgment on others like that? Ya know, Satsuki, I'm starting to get the nagging feeling that Dad might've just been a Grade A _prick_."

Satsuki shrugged weakly, her cobalt eyes suddenly taking a keen interest in her footwear as she pondered whether the similarities were valid or not, were genetic or not. "Perhaps he didn't know any better. He didn't seem to have been surrounded by a team of supportive associates. At least, as much as I was...he didn't have the relentless pressure of portraying himself as the ultimate leader to keep his attitude in check, either."

Ryuko tilted her head, then raised a finger up to the edge of the troubled girl's downcast chin. She slowly guided up the sad, melancholy face up to view her own patented _'Matoi's Pearly Finest'_ grin of sincere cheer.

"Hey. You know what makes me feel better in times like these? Comfort food! Oh yeah, I could totally go for a convenience store onigiri or a pork nikuman and some instant Ramen right about now. You should try some! Comfort food really helps in these situations, you just throw caution to the wind and totally pig out! Yeah, 7-11 was like my favorite restaurant, back in the day."

Eyes rimmed with red, Satsuki could only regard her wayward sister's culinary opinions with barely-concealed revulsion. "Oh yes, Matoi. I can certainly see Lady Kiryuin Satsuki 'pigging out', surely. The very idea! Ugh…how can you consume such atrocious food? The sodium _alone_ would drive you to an early heart attack, I'm certain."

"Yeah? Well, I was sort of 'between residences' for most of the time I spent after the house fire and before living in Honnō City, ya know. I only enrolled in a school so I could kick enough ass to find the info I needed, then I'd just move on to the next one…didn't exactly get to sample the school's cuisine for very long. What, did you think I was holed up in some nice luxury hotels in the meantime? I was a _homeless vagrant_ , Satsuki! I was crashing in 24-hour Internet cafés, those little capsule hotels, you name it. I ran out of what little money I did have kinda early on, and the cops weren't exactly falling over each other, caring about my situation…they had zero proof, but thought I was maybe somehow responsible for what happened to Dad? They had no evidence whatsoever, but they sure weren't gonna help me figure out how to access his bank accounts, either. He never let me have a bank card that was attached to _his_ account, so…so there I was: living in odd areas, eating instant ramen and gas station food, vending machine junk and whatever else I could scrape up. So yeah, sodium and MSG, sugar and fat…that's what fueled me for the longest time. I mean sure, I scraped up the occasional lemon, of course! But still…"

Satsuki coiled in disgust, her mouth filling with the phantom flavor of soy-tinged salt, mixed with powdered Ramen flavoring. She had made the mistake of trying instant noodles once, to her most sincere regret. The only things that should ever be instant were her underlings' responses to her commands, not delicate things like cuisine! "You couldn't find a way to obtain or make better quality food at _all_? That sounds like a terribly unhealthy eating style!"

Ryuko scratched the back of her head as she sheepishly recounted her actions in those dark times. "Can't exactly cook without a kitchen, Sats...my dad's house was a burned-out shell, remember? I ate what I could, when I could. Heck, when I first ate those croquettes Sukuyo-sama makes, I thought I had struck gold! Even if they maybe…possibly…uh, _wiggled_ occasionally, they were still light years ahead of the crud I had to eat while I was drifting around. The 'Kanto Vagabond and Guitar Case Drifter' couldn't pick and choose…she had more important things to worry about. Ate what I could, slept where I could. Heck, I even slept in an actual dumpster once, ya know. Not exactly the Ritz. In fact, the room service was quite poor. Honestly, I can't recommend it! Zero stars from me! Oh, not to mention the fact that a young girl like me living on the streets was basically an engraved invitation for every weirdo to try their luck. I shoulda just worn some ' _Attention, street thugs and assorted vermin: please rape me!_ ' sign on my back or something...oh man, all the skin I lost just to get some shut-eye, back in those days. Fuckers sure _knew_ they were in a fight though, that's fer damn sure! They never got any of _this_ sweet vagabond's hot little body, other than some righteous knuckles of pure _vengeance_!" Eyes wide with a glare of magnesium-fire intensity, Ryuko punctuated this last statement by clenching a fist hard enough to pop a few of the aforementioned knuckles of street justice.

Her face blanching at the prospect of sleeping in trash and fighting desperately just to win a molestation-free evening, Satsuki frowned at her ever-wayward sibling. "I apologize. I must admit that I don't know much about such ways of life. I had not properly considered the details of how you were living in those days. I am mostly responsible for creating some of the horrid conditions you dealt with, back then. I am truly sorry for that."

"Eh. Can't blame the world for being the world, Satsy. Besides, you are doing a tremendous amount of good here and now! There are a lot of people who can rest easy tonight, thanks in no small part to your efforts."

Eyes glistening with gratitude, Satsuki sighed and smoothed out her wrinkled blouse, a nervous habit for the neatness-obsessed woman. "I hope and pray that this is so. Perhaps then I will be one of those people, resting easy for once? I shall never stop trying to improve other people's lives, though."

Ryuko reached into her sweatshirt pocket and withdrew the wireless mouse, plopping it down into the immediate proximity of her sister's hand. "C'mon, gorgeous. Let's wrap up this shit show so we can focus on how awesome we are for surviving this divine comedy of pure crap that Dad threw our way."

Satsuki quietly followed her sibling back to the office, then secured her position by Ryuko's side as they hurled themselves back into the unforgiving memory gauntlet of their sordid family history.

 ** _…_**

 ** _エラー読み取りファイル_** ** _!_**

 ** _破損が検出されました！_**

 ** _次のファイルへ_** ** _スキップ_** ** _…_**

 ** _…_**

 **録画** **_** **ファイル** **_** **12_03_59_17_10_** **2012**

A voice, filled with pride and excitement, filled the air as the camera focused upon a life fiber weaving loom.

"It's beautiful. A work of art and magnificent engineering, elements wedded together in this most supreme example of my genius. Another time, another place...I would have earned a Nobel Prize for it, I am most certain! My years and years of hard work have led to this moment. Behold: my personal will for revenge, come to glorious life! This will certainly get her attention, won't it? Yes, yes…right before it _kills_ her…"

Ryuko's eyebrows crashed together around her furrowing brow as she choked out loud, unable to contain the titanic swell of emotions that flooded her being at the sight of that which now greeted her on the screen. The camera panned slowly around the glass window of the life fiber weaving loom mechanism, Senketsu's newly knitted form plainly visible under the bright spotlights. She found her fingers reaching out to caress his image in spite of herself.

In the back of her mind, Ryuko knew that this was a distinct possibility, that she might glimpse the sight of her former uniform, her confidant, her soul's better half. Actually preparing herself for this moment mentally, however, somehow slipped her attention entirely.

"P-pause it here. Please, nee-san. Pause the video for me. Just for a second, I promise I won't linger fer very long..." the distraught teenager mumbled, and Satsuki could only wait for a sufficiently clear video frame to do as was requested.

Sharp pangs of heart anguish lashed at her tender insides as Ryuko admired Senketsu's handsome edges, his smart cut and debonair eye, gleaming under the lab's lights. She whispered out loud to his image as Satsuki gently stroked her arm in careful solidarity, witness to her dear sibling's quietly fracturing heart all over again.

"H-hey, Senkets! Fancy meeting you here, of all places! Boy, you l-look so nice...wow, you just rolled off the loom there, huh? Ah, look there, Satsuki...look at the file name! It's a date stamp! His b-birthday is right before mine! How 'bout that, huh? Now I can finally celebrate his actual birthday...I never knew it before now. That's kinda cool..."

Satsuki swallowed thickly as she cautiously watched Ryuko's cathartic moment play out before her in nerve-wracking detail. It wasn't that she was unhappy with seeing Senketsu again: he was a particularly brave and heroic uniform, and she honored his valiant sacrifice every time she was able to hold her lost sister in her arms, once again.

No, she was just being pragmatically concerned for her dear Ryuko's mental stability. If anything could potentially serve as a traumatic trigger of sorts, it was the harsh memory of witnessing Senketsu's fiery demise...and Satsuki wasn't yet prepared to handle such a scenario, should it occur once more. She warily eyed the computer screen's power button, the deep blue glow only serving to reinforce the frightful memory of Ryuko's own cobalt orb as it had transformed before her own eyes into a baleful yellow rift of Chthonian horror.

The experience of witnessing Berserker Ryuko in action was one of the few times in Kiryuin Satsuki's surreal life that she was truly disturbed down to her very core by something...and she had no shortage of harrowing life events to draw upon for comparison, either. Back then, it was merely the unfortunate outcome of a brash and irresponsible fool who had allowed circumstances to outpace her woefully inadequate attempts at controlling such unimaginable power.

Were that to happen _now_ , however? It would be a disaster of truly unfathomable proportions. Lady Kiryuin Satsuki would be reluctantly forced to subdue her darling soul mate, possibly killing her in the process. This would effectively snuff out her own will to live as well: even if she somehow triumphed, she would ultimately lose that battle in the bitter end. To lose Ryuko would be tantamount to losing everything that ever mattered in her entire existence...she would be _damned_ if this were to happen under her watchful eye!

"Ryuko-chan. It's okay. I'm right here. Let it out...whatever feelings you need to purge may be safely vented. I'll take care of you, I promise...n _o matter what._ "

Ryuko took in a deep breath, her shuddering chest making it quite obvious, the impact of such a comment. "I'm okay, really. I'm j-just taking the time to say hello to an old friend, that's all...I'm all right."

"Are you, though? We don't speak of him much at all, and I know just how much his passing truly hurt you. Ryuko, if it means anything to you...I miss his presence, his voice as well."

Ryuko had forgotten this, that Satsuki had heard his voice too. That was it, the final raindrop to burst her swollen reservoir of false bravado. She shivered as a ghost caress squeezed her torso...Ryuko knew who was behind that phantom gesture: she could feel him right now, deep within her breast. Tears gushed down her cheeks as she crumpled against Satsuki, helpless against the flood of long-hidden anguish and regret that now assaulted her lost soul.

 _'_ _Better to lance this now, in a safe and controlled manner. I'm truly sorry, dear heart. I mean to cause you no pain, but you simply must let this poison out! The world cannot afford you and your penchant for bottling up this terrible pain you carry...the price for doing so might just be too steep for_ _anyone_ _to pay.'_ Satsuki grimaced as she protectively embraced the sobbing wreck that was Matoi Ryuko...here now was sad evidence that she couldn't ever truly stop manipulating people, even if she tried.

Pointy canines bit cruelly into her lower lip as Ryuko struggled mightily to stay afloat in this torrent of boiling emotions. "It's not f-fair! Why'd he have to go and _die_ on me like that, Sats? Dammit, I still n- _needed_ him! Fuck, I still _do_! I m-miss him so fucking...ow, it hurts _so much_! It hurts! The pain! I can still feel him, right h-here in my chest...why did he have to die? _Why_?" Loosely curled fists beat weakly against Satsuki's shoulder as Ryuko's frame shook and lurched.

Satsuki found her own breath hitching as she valiantly tried to comfort the poor girl as best she could. "I don't have the answers, Ryuko-chan. Karma does as it will, and we are ever out of the realm of its understanding. This I will say: you were truly blessed to have made his acquaintance when you did. Consider, if you will, the kind of person you'd be now if your soul had never made contact with his own...?"

At this, Ryuko grew still. Tightly clenched eyes slowly opened, tears still cascading down her flushed, ruddy cheeks. She purposefully evaded making direct eye contact with her sister, shame slowly burning a ragged hole in her heart as she reflected upon her immature reaction. Satsuki chose this moment to gamble everything on a carefully measured throw of her own dice.

"You'd be even _more_ insufferable, if such a thing was even possible."

Ryuko suddenly made the eye contact she had been previously avoiding. Quivering eyes prepared to take another plunge into Sob Valley as she sought to identify the underlying attitude in this comment. A placid, almost uninterested expression stared back at her...but Satsuki's eyes were dancing with loving playfulness, she could tell. Ryuko sniffled, then wiped away her own tears as she added her own pithy observations to the mix.

"Oh... _*sniff*_ …oh, yeah? Hell, I learned it by watching you, crazy pants. Ya know, when I first asked who the top dog at Honnōji Academy was, I shoulda known it would turn out to be such a total _bitch_!"

"That's 'glorious _bitch_ ', and don't you forget it!"

Ryuko hiccupped, snorted, and then let out a slow sigh as introspection started to wash over her turbulent mind. "Sorry 'bout that, Satsuki. I really thought I was finally over him being gone, I truly did. I...guess maybe I still have a long way to go." She struck out at Satsuki's shoulder, an offensive gesture that melted into a grasp of loving respect once it made contact with the tall woman's blouse. The young Kiryuin deftly grasped the hand between her own, nuzzling against it gently as though it were a small and very comfortable pillow.

"We both have a long way to go. I'll _always_ be here for you, Ryuko-chan...never, ever forget this fact."

Ryuko watched as her hand was lovingly cuddled, and a faint haze of embarrassment enveloped her mind. 'G _otta get my shit together. I need to be better than this! Boy, I don't know what I'd do without her...gotta start behaving and being more mature and stuff, for her sake.'_

She nervously coughed, then reached over to place a grateful peck upon Satsuki's cheek. "Thanks. Sorry I'm such a goofball. I'll try to be better about that in the future."

"Don't you worry, child. You may be a goofball, but you are _my_ goofball! Oh, and one thing you need to understand going forward, Ryuko-san. You'll never truly be 'over' him, I suspect. I don't think that is how things work, deep within the human heart. The pain will lessen over time, true…but he left his indelible mark upon your very heart and soul. Do not assume that this is something you 'get over'. Someday, the good memories _will_ outweigh the bad, and mentioning Senketsu's name will only be a cause for celebration, not a reminder of bitter sadness. Please do not make the mistake of bottling up this sort of thing inside you forever though, all right? I'm so fearful of you doing untold damage to your own beautiful soul if you try to seal this kind of feeling away…promise me that you'll try to share these kind of things with me…in due time, of course? I need to be there for you, and in this I shall not fail you! I will not hesitate to drop whatever I need in order to make this happen! You have my _word_."

Ryuko paused, an indescribable expression settling upon her features as she quietly considered the wisdom embedded in her sibling's earnest missive. She intently inspected her knobby, scarred knuckles, her stylishly dirty nails and her palm's life lines, still somehow stained with stubborn carbon soot and oil. One finger absently traced a life line with repeated strokes, as if to somehow massage the chaos right out of it.

A small voice emanated from the young Matoi's barely parted lips. "I'll…I'll _try_. I promise…" she murmured, her head reeling with a calm, orderly sort of panic. "I'm not good at coming to people fer that sort of junk, though. I kinda just…clam up and weather the storm, ya know? I might just possibly forget to actually  say anythin' about it, is what I'm sayin' here. Can ya promise me that you won't get _too_ mad at me when this inevitably happens? It ain't on purpose, I just…I dunno, it's like a coping sort of thing, maybe? I've seen some really shitty things in my time, and I ain't exactly easy to deal with in that regard…you mighta noticed that by now, I figure? Sometimes being distant and quiet is just easier for everyone involved."

Lady Satsuki bowed her head, gently kissing Ryuko's knuckles as she did so. Looking up, she grinned and stated the obvious. "I know all about being distant. I'm something of an expert in that regard! Yet even I will acknowledge that it isn't necessarily the best tactic in certain situations. I shall never condemn you for such things, for to do so would make me a hypocrite of the highest order. No, I only wish to assist with your healing now…yes, I can still be most cantankerous and difficult, but only _you_ make me want to strive to be better than that. Only  you, dear heart. I might still be sealed up in that suffocating 'Steel Queen' suit to this very day, if not for your efforts. I want only to rescue you, fair maiden…as you once did me."

"Oh, man. You really need to quit reading those corny old stories, Sats…or I'll start telling everyone just how much of a gushy, sentimental softy you _really_ are!"

"Go ahead. Who will they believe, I wonder? I'll have you know that no one else sees this side of me, save possibly Nonon and Soroi…and those are just the briefest of glimpses, too."

"Yeah? Well…I'll _always_ know."

"Ryuko, you know because I _want_ you to know. Perhaps in time, others will start to see me as a kinder, gentler woman. But for now, I am content that only you get to see the real me, all things considered. I didn't spend my entire life building up such an advantage, just to carelessly squander it!"

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, my 'knight in blushing armor'…let's watch the rest of that stuff. There's only a couple videos left, from what I saw."

"I'm not blushing!"

"Yeah? Well, you are _now_!"

"I… _*tsk*_ …oh, damn it all…"

 **録画** **_** **ファイル** **_** **09_15_30_24_02_** **2013**

The previous video had actually ended right after the paused moment passed, so the next one in sequence was started immediately. Doctor Matoi leered manically at the lens, sweat glistening upon his brow as he gesticulated wildly around the lab.

"It has now begun! The beginning of the end. The final gambit has now been set in motion! I have purposely leaked my secret location, just now…it is only a matter of time before Kiryuin Ragyo's slaves detect these carefully engineered hints of my 'secret' presence and she sends a hit squad here to take me out, once and for all. The gauntlet has been _cast!_ Oh, I'll bet she cannot  wait until I am erased for good…Kiryuin Ragyo simply cannot _stand_ loose ends, be they in her damnable stitching or her plans for planetary conquest! Ah, but I have _also_ send for my dear Ryuko, as well. She will be coming home soon, yearning for attention from her dear old father…just in time to witness the harsh treachery of Ragyo's cruel reach! Yes, yes…if I time it properly, my dear daughter will arrive just in time to find me locked in fierce combat with whatever foolish REVOCS lackeys that were dispatched to assassinate me here in my lab. Well, they can certainly  try! It's not as if this old man cannot defend his own self!"

He motioned out to one side, his lab coat forming a long, sharp blade from his sleeve as he glared down upon its keen edge. With a slight nod, the sleeve reverted back to a simple cloth state. The scientist nodded his approval, pleased that the coat was performing in perfect sync with his commands. It had taken far too long to perfect the signals…but with Kinue long gone, he had been forced to go the long way around to recreate her brilliant interface methods for it to work to his exacting specifications.

"Yes, yes…Ryuko will be forced to defend her dear old father. She will then have no choice but to enthusiastically volunteer for the mission that I will have laid out before her: to overthrow that fucking REVOCS bitch and save the whole planet in the process! I'll have to ease her into it gently, though! It will be a lot for Ryuko to absorb; the secret of life fibers, the ultimate plan that Ragyo is cooking up for the world's end. Even if something does somehow go wrong, I have instructed Mikisugi Aikurō to look out for Ryuko anyways, to guide her down the proper path from behind the scenes, if necessary. He has secured a position within that Academy, he should be able to leverage this, potentially provide some assistance to her if need be. I can only hope all goes well and that events unfold as naturally as I have planned, so I am not forced to rely upon his expertise in that regard. Hmm…I also hope that the utter fool can keep his pants on long enough to get the damned job done, should it come down to that! Damn it all, that boy has gone and allowed his so-called 'sexy phase' to distract him from his work. Worse, it threatens _my_ undercover operations, that's what is so unforgiveable about it! Hell, anyone could tell that he has slipped way too far into that ridiculous 'playboy' persona of his…it is obviously to mask his grief over Kinue's passing. That damned  fool. I know it upset him, it tore us all up when it happened. _He does not have the market cornered on the subject of loss!_ However, Mikisugi has gone too far with his denial of events as they occurred! In fact, he now pretends that real love was _never_ important at all! That blasted _fool!_ He insults me with his cavalier and misguided attitude! Damn his carefree smiling! Love sometimes means getting hurt in the process! Dammit, if I only had the time, I would set myself upon the task of whipping his sparkling clown ass into proper shape, to _really_ set the bastard straight!"

Isshin struggled to bring down the fire of his righteous indignation to a slow simmer. Head slowly nodding, he thoughtfully held up one finger as he sought to acknowledge other, more important facts regarding the situation.

"And yet…I have no right to do so. I was ultimately responsible for her death, and it's a small wonder that he does not blame me for it! Yes…I need to remember that I am lucky to have him as an ally at all. I do not have many of those, and I must place my trust in the few I do have. I must believe that he will do the right thing, and that his damned crotch won't interfere with my carefully laid plans! Ah, to be a young man again. Young…and _stupid_. I shouldn't say much, really. After all, I was the one dumb enough to fall for that accursed Kiryuin woman in the first place, yes? Perhaps all of this could have been avoided if I had simply been able to…to _control_ my own faculties?"

Ryuko stared off into space, being momentarily blindsided by this disorienting piece of information. That perma-horny neon-nippled fuckhead…that's all just an _act_? She made a mental note to later call him out on this, to tell him to drop the charade since she knew the actual truth now. Maybe then he would start acting like a sane individual and she could finally respect him? Pfft, yeah…and maybe her ass would sprout wings so she could fly to the friggin' _moon_.

She looked back up at the screen just in time to see a most alien sight. Their bitter, angry father, Doctor Revengy McAsshole himself…was openly weeping. Ryuko froze as she felt Satsuki's hand slip over to encircle her own. Satsuki looked over to her sibling, eyebrows knitted in uncomfortable worry. Neither of them expected this odd turn of events, and an unsettling atmosphere proceeded to smother them both with the awkwardness of silence.

The doctor's shoulders trembled as he clenched uselessly at the air. "If I hadn't loved _her_ , none of this would have happened. Damn me to hell, if this gambit fails and she wins, it will all have been my fault. _All of it._ Life will cease to exist on this planet, due to my terrible failures! I cannot have such crimes on my conscience! _I CANNOT_!"

Isshin grasped at his hair with one curled fist, the other seeking to stop the sudden rush of exasperated tears that flowed from his squinted eyes. It was too late to stem this burst, however: sealing oneself off from the inconvenient flow of honest emotions could only work for so long before cracks eventually started appearing in that hastily constructed dam's surface.

"I l-love my little Ryuko, too. I've crumbled so very much, I have even lost the ability to show my own daughter that I _do_ care…why is it that I have no problem with dumping my life's work into this kamui interface, so  it can love her and take care of her in my stead? Am I such a failure that I cannot face my own beautiful daughter and be the parent she truly deserves? I need to rely on alien _puppets_ for this? I already know that I will never see my beloved, darling baby Satsuki ever again; I resigned myself to this fact long ago! Must I destroy my own relationship with Ryuko as well? I can see from my surveillance tapes and intelligence reports that her sister Satsuki has indeed become a most fearful warrior and dictator-in-chief, as I once predicted. Yet…I find myself often dreaming of what could have been! She has become such a breathtakingly lovely woman, so confident and competent in her abilities. If she were not the enemy, I would say that I was…proud of her. Had I managed to swallow my pride and anger and stayed behind at REVOCS, perhaps I could have found a way to somehow care for her, and possibly taught her to be a better person after all? I'll never be able to tell her how much I regret ruining her life. It haunts me to this very day…that I did such a remorseless and heartless thing to so precious a jewel. This…this is _war_ , however…and such casualties are regrettably unavoidable. I tell myself this every damned day, here as I lay down the plans to have her possibly murdered by her own damned _sister_. I sit here and plot as I orchestrate the wholesale murder of my own family, lost to me by the threads of cruel fate. What… _what have I become?_ "

The tired old man leaned upon a tall, thin object for support, which eventually became identifiable as one half of the Sword Scissors. He used it as an impromptu crutch as he shuffled over to the glass display case that housed Senketsu's inert form.

"Ah, my dear Ryuko. She won't be too happy when she sees the sparse form that this kamui requires to provide optimal power control, which is certain to cause her some potentially embarrassing issues. Ryuko will need to find a way to overcome such frailties…true power will only come from her sense of pride and confidence! I know she has developed an enormously powerful will; living the life I have painstakingly created for her, it would have done her no good whatsoever to be a weak-willed simpleton! I would have to say that Satsuki obviously has inherited this massive and unyielding willpower, as well. They are so very alike, in that regard. I could only hope that, once this all is settled, they could just hug and be there for one another, as sisters should…but regrettably, that is but a silly pipedream. Kiryuin Satsuki has become the right hand of the most dangerous being on the planet, and she must be treated as such! Take no prisoners, old man. Take _no_ prisoners…"

Isshin drew forth a bottle of whiskey from beneath his desk, and he took a long, slow pull from it as both girls winced at the sight. They had shared a shot of this amber liquid once, in memory of their departed father, and neither one could imagine being able to consume such a noxious drink in such a manner. Yet there he was, gulping it down greedily as though it were a refreshing draught of iced tea on a hot summer's day.

"This is why he is acting in such an odd manner: he must have become something of a drunk, this late into his life. He must have drowned his sorrows like this quite often, for him to be able to drink that amount of liquor in such a manner! To lead such a lonely life…I cannot even begin to imagine the pain he must have been in, Ryuko. His family, sabotaged and stolen by aliens during the quest for supreme knowledge…" Satsuki crossed her arms, one hand to her chin as she sought to stay calm in the face of this mortifying display of savage self-hatred.

Ryuko stared at the screen, unable to fathom this sad window into her dad's tortuous, solitary life. "I…I didn't know. I had no idea! I mean, I figured that he was always mad at me or something, y'know, 'cause all those reports of me always misbehaving left him in such a sore state. I always felt so guilty after one of those phone calls…I only wanted him to be proud of me, not ever taking any shit from anyone! I tell ya, Sats…he was always so damned grumpy for one reason or another. But I never knew it was like…like _this_? I was never around to see him physically, those last couple of years. Y'know, if I was there I woulda sniffed out drinking like that in a heartbeat! Maybe I coulda…I dunno, stopped him from destroying himself? Dammit, Dad…what the hell _happened_ to you? He basically signed his own death warrant, bringing Nui down upon himself like that on purpose…although I guess he didn't anticipate _that_ psycho cunt was showing up? He coulda probably taken out just about anyone else who did arrive that day, I'll bet. But then, there was that good ol' wave of Kiryuin luck to ruin his plans…it sure waved 'goodbye' to him, didn't it? Poor old man…"

"Do you still hate him…now?"

"Yes…no…ugh, I just don't _know_ anymore, Satsuki. I thought that this crap would just serve to emphasize what kind of a dick he really was, that's all! I expected villainous sneering and hands being rubbed together all evil-like as he plotted to manipulate us both like the sexy smart bombs we are…I mean, that's what mad scientists _do!_ It's like, I dunno, a law or something? But…but I didn't think all of this other stuff would come up. I mean, it's so hard fer me to believe, that he was so…so…"

"Human?"

"Yeah, I…I guess so. Now I feel kinda sorry for him, to be honest. Look, if you ask me, he definitely went about all of this in the worst way possible! If only he'd let me come home, he woulda seen that I wasn't such a bad girl after all! I…we…we coulda been an actual family, even if it wasn't the perfect dream he once had? Then again, if he wasn't such a standoffish asshole, I'd have never found Senketsu either…there weren't any bad sides to having _him_ care for me, really. Senketsu loved me and tolerated my dumb ass just enough to make me realize what an absolute shithead I was being…uh, you know, eventually? Boy, I sure am glad that Dad didn't give Senketsu his awful temper, though. That would have pissed me off so royally, I woulda dropped him off at the nearest clothing donation box if _that_ were true!"

"Ryuko, I believe his intention was to _make_ you become a 'bad girl'. It's what he needed: a rebellious psycho who would react explosively under Ragyo's predictably arrogant efforts to control her! Er…no offense intended, of course. Father underestimated your innate sweetness, however. You became a truly good person, despite his best efforts."

" _*pfft*_ Hell, I ain't sweet at all. I'm a bitter little pill."

"Seriously? Ryuko-chan, compared to me, you are a dollop of the sweetest honey! Also, please do realize that the best medicine is often most bitter, indeed. Yet it is certainly in one's best interests to deal with the occasional bitterness, isn't it? I, for one, have found that I could not live without my little 'bitter pill', for its dose nourishes my life in a most crucial manner…"

Their lips met, a gentle affirmation of closeness and solidarity in the face of life's utter chaos. Their embrace remained locked for a few moments, each gaining a swell of luxuriant healing energy from the other. Ryuko eventually looked up at the monitor, as random noises indicated that the video was not quite as paused as she had originally presumed.

Metallic noises clanged and clinked from the computer's speakers. Doctor Matoi was fiddling with the two sword halves of the Rending Scissors, absently fitting them together and drawing them apart to test their fit. "Time to prepare for battle, old man. Hmm, yes indeed… _eh?_ "

He looked up at the camera suddenly, eyes shining with glimmers of regret and sadness. A brief puff of exasperated breath escaped from him as he realized that the camera was still filming. He rolled his bleary, bloodshot eyes and muttered to himself as he reached for the power button, chastising himself for his distracted focus. "Damn it all, you forgetful old fool. I really must remember to erase this damned video archive, once things start to look more optimistic out there. It wouldn't do anybody any good to see me like _this_ …a tired, drunken old fool who can't even remember to shut off the damned-"

The feed cut out, a loud click ending the video with a grim finality. They looked at the play list: that was the last video in the entire series. Ryuko gazed sadly at the screen, eyes focused upon the patchwork of thumbnails as she murmured a quiet message out to spirits past.

"Bye, Daddy. I'm…I'm glad you forgot to erase this. We got to see you again…got to see Senkets again, too…thanks to your forgetfulness…"

"I am glad for this as well. It was nice to see them again, even if circumstances could not possibly be more-"

" _-Awkward_? Oh yeah, ain't  that the truth? Still…it goes a long way towards answering a whole lotta questions I've had for years about all this crap. I don't know about you, but…I feel like I can maybe rest easier, knowing all this stuff?"

"Mmm, quite true. Here, let's start preparing for bed. I know it is still early by your standards, but we do have a big day tomorrow. It's your first day at the new job, and I certainly don't want you to be late for that!"

"I'll do that. You know why?"

"Why is that, Ryuko-chan?"

"Because I love you…and love is the reason we do anything at _all._ "

Satsuki found herself to be still blushing at that silly remark, even as they embarked upon their quiet journey to the bedroom. She never once thought that romantic thoughts could effectively pierce her thick hide, yet there she was, weakening at the knees at the very idea. She nodded towards the bedroom, eyes glimmering with excitement.

"Come, I have a great surprise for you!"

"Umm…I thought you said to get an _early_ night's rest?"

"I did, and we will. Get your mind out of the gutter, please! I just need to show you a feature of this house's integrated technology. It's important."

Ryuko cocked her head, enthusiastically taking the bait as she followed her sibling down the hall. Satsuki drew forth a small black box as she excitedly motioned towards the bed.

"Please, Ryuko. Have a seat there, then close your eyes."

"Uhh…okay? What exactly are you planning here, huh?"

"Just relax. Are your eyes closed?"

" _*sigh*_ Yesss...hurry it up, already! I hate suspense."

"Hmm. Yet you revel in creating it, don't you? Ah, well. Just one moment, dear. Let's see here, now how do I…oh, yes!"

Satsuki hummed to herself as she rapidly tapped the instrument in her palm, grinning wildly as she did so. "Ah, excellent. Now I know I told you that this house originally served as a testbed for Isshin Aerospace's cutting edge materials, yes? Matoi Ryuko, I wanted to be the first one to introduce you to just how your existence is making the future a more amazing place! When I tell you to open your eyes, please do so. Just please…do not panic, all right?"

Ryuko stiffened up, suddenly nervous at this odd request. "What the fuck are you planning? This better not be a joke, Kiryuin! I will kick your ass if I have to take another shower because you mucked up my hair with some weird-"

"No, I would do no such thing in the bedroom! Please trust me, all right? I will not fail your faith in me, I promise."

"Okay, I believe you. I trust you. Go ahead. Do…um, well…whatever it is you're planning…I ain't scared."

"Oh, it's already done. Open your eyes and remember… _do_ _not_ _panic._ "

Ryuko cautiously opened her eyelids, slamming them closed again once she realized just how bright the room had become. Was that the full moon she glimpsed, just now? Impossible. She tried again, and a long slow gasp rewarded Kiryuin Satsuki's ears as Ryuko tried to comprehend the sight which now overwhelmed her vision.

The walls, ceiling and floor were all gone. The bed she was on was just floating above the hillside, anchored to…well, nothing. Her eyes frantically scanned the surrounding area, trying to make sense of such insanity. Ryuko whirled around to look at her sister, who now was also floating in midair as well.

"Wh-what the hell is _this_? Is this a secret drug test or something? Am I tripping out? Am I totally losing my f-fucking _mind_ here, sis?"

"Far too late for that, dear! No, nothing of the sort. This is merely an approximation of where we are currently located physically, sans the construction of the entire house!"

"Huh? Ya mean, this _ain't_ real? Wh-what am I seeing here, exactly?"

"Look around. It's beautiful out tonight, isn't it? Look up there, the _Kase Boshi_ , also known as the constellation of Orion. Is it not truly spectacular?"

"Satsuki…how the hell is this happening?"

"It's an advanced form of fiber optics-life-fiber optics, if you will-combined with the very latest in visual scanners, sensors and computational algorithms. This house is positively saturated with them…here, we can turn night into day, make the visible become invisible, alter visual perceptions to our will! Let's just say that Inumuta's cloaking technology has benefitted from an immense upgrade, thanks in no small part to your efforts! Everything you see here was made possible by your physical sacrifices to our research department, Ryuko-chan!"

Ryuko was lost in a galaxy of sheer wonderment. She could only stare at the twinkling night sky as she tried to believe that such a thing was even possible. The full moon, the shimmering stars, the silhouette of the undulating countryside…it looked so very real! The sight was flawless; she could find no evidence of distortion or seams whatsoever in the representation of this fiber-woven augmented reality. The only disconnect that served to disturb the illusion was the air around them: it wasn't cold or breezy at all, like the view would have suggested. Just still air and madly circulating thoughts, this was all that swirled around her.

"Wow. Just… _all_ of the wows! This is simply amazing! Hey, this stuff…is it out on the market yet?"

"No, not for a while."

"Huh. How come?"

"Access to the proper materials, patent filing, international rights must be properly secured, things of that nature. These are the harsh realities of the business and manufacturing worlds. It will happen sooner than you think, though! Here, let's look at the other possibilities."

The serene vista suddenly transformed, and a ripple was cast across this moonlit dream as a television news broadcast was seamlessly woven into Ryuko's field of vision instead. A news anchor's face filled the entire sky as he rapidly fired off the latest news regarding the Japanese financial markets.

"Holy _SHIT_. That is freakin' UNREAL! HA-HA-HAA!" Ryuko blurted out as she observed the stock ticker scrolling rapidly across the edge of the horizon. Never even once did she envision stocks to be so mind-numbingly exciting! That, she noted to herself with a shy giggle, was more likely to be in _Satsuki's_ IMAX version of a wet dream fantasy.

"I'm sorry, Ryuko. I've been pitching our company wares to investors for the past few weeks. I'm starting to sound like a silly infomercial! I meant to present this in a more controlled, yet personalized fashion, I assure you. But I really wanted to surprise you, and I knew you were going to need some cheering up after viewing those videos of Father's…I hope you don't mind. Oh, and I had perhaps envisioned the very real fear of you accidentally triggering this feature while trying to find the bathroom in the middle of the night, half asleep. You can just imagine the sort of chaos that might have triggered, I would assume?"

"Are you kidding? I'm too busy imagining how frickin' _awesome_ my video games are gonna look on the walls! This is just…mind blowing! This is light years ahead of any dumb virtual reality headset! Oh man, I had no idea that I could cause this to happen, just by giving up some measly little life fiber samples or whatever. I just thought they were just gonna name some fancy rocket after me or somethin'…ya know, one made of 'Matoi Metals' or whatever the hell they're working on inventing over there?"

Satsuki firmly placed one hand over her groaning face, shaking it slowly as she considered her sister's woefully uninformed observations. "You didn't pay attention to _any_ of the company briefings, did you?"

"N-naw, I guess not. Maybe if Geek Boy would make them more interesting I would follow 'em better? But no, once I found out that the term 'Modulus' wasn't referring to the guitar company, I kinda…zoned out. Sorry, sis…"

"Ah. Well, no matter. You would be quite surprised to discover the amazing diversity of products that were borne from our ongoing synthetics research. It wouldn't be possible without your contributions! We are already turning a tidy profit from some of our more mundane product offerings: this is how we can afford to pay you the licensing fees, after all."

"Mmm, yeah, I guess. I'm just gonna end up giving most of it to you, anyways. Fuckin' money, man. It brings a lot of grief and stress along with it, in my opinion. I just hope we can put it to good use with the foundation, ya know?"

"Indeed we shall, my dear love. Here, let's get things back to normal so we can actually sleep tonight."

With a few swipes, Satsuki returned the room to a blissfully normal state. They then set out to prepare for their slumber, excited banter flowing from the giddy Matoi as they did.

"Oi, I just had a thought."

"Why, congratulations! I was wondering when that might finally happen…"

"Quiet, Admiral SuperBitch. No, seriously…think about it. Ragyo was like the biggest cunt in the universe, right? That, and we now know that Dad was a pretty big jackass himself, all things considered. You always say I'm all nice and sweet and stuff, and I say that you are really this big ol' softy deep down inside…if those things are true, then where did we get those kind of attributes from, huh? It wasn't them, that's fer sure!"

"I cannot say. Perhaps I'm not a 'softy', after all?"

"Okay, fine. If that's true, then I guess that proves it, once and for all."

"Proves…what, exactly?"

"Well, I hate to break it to ya, Sats, but…yer _adopted._ "

"Why, you little…you cheeky brat! How _dare_ you question my lineage or-"

" ** _Ha_**! Either that, or you have to admit it! Come on…say it! You're really a big ol' _what_ , Satsuki? Huh? Eh?"

"I owe you _nothing_. Go to sleep before I _put_ you to sleep, you little irritant."

"Eh heh heh, all right. I'll getcha though. Yer gonna admit to me that Lady Kiryuin Satsuki is a big, squishy softy at heart. I'll hear you admitting it to me, one way or the other…"

" _Hmph_. Don't hold your breath."

"Aw, come on. I'm sorry. Don't get all grumpy, Sats. Here, let me come over there and snuggle with you."

"No, none of that tonight…you'll try to turn it into a horny game of Twister… _tongue twister_. You always do."

"Aw come on, Captain Pillow Chest! I need to get some good rest. Don't deny me that now, of all times? I need to do my very breast _-I MEAN-_ b-best, tomorrow at work…right?"

"Hmm. Yes, I can somehow sense your true intentions. Get some sleep, Ryuko."

" _*sigh*_ Dammit! Ugh! Fine, I'm goin' to sleep, Miss Bossy Pants. _*hmph*_ "

"That's right. Don't forget that important fact at the foundation tomorrow. I _am_ your superior, and you _will_ treat me as such in front of the others."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll behave. We'll just see about that though, come lunch time."

"I don't take lunches at work, imouto-chan."

"Aw! Come on! I was gonna eat out with you-"

"Oh, no you don't. Not in _my_ office."

"Rrrr…all right, fine. Hey, do I get an office?"

"Well…not _anymore_ , you don't."

"Aw, come on! Then in that case, who do I go to for filing a human resources complaint, hah?"

"Me. I am the H.R. department."

"O-oh. Well, then. I guess I'll go and shut up now."

"Mmm. See that you do, or I'll pile heaps of unfair…shall we say, _harassment_ down upon you."

"Hey! You _just_ got done sayin' that we ain't-"

"We're not going to…tonight. Tomorrow is a different day. Don't forget that you also sleep with your boss. Try to keep on her good side, hmm?"

" _-ulp!-_ I'm…uh, shutting up now, 'Boss'."

"That's 'Lady Satsuki' to you, Front Reception Desk Committee Chair Matoi 'No-Star' Ryuko."

"Holy hell, tomorrow's gonna be a really weird day…"

"It always is around you, Ryuko. It always is…"

* * *

They drifted off to sleep, each having their own dreams to accomplish. Ryuko, however, didn't stay in that realm for long. Something was gnawing at the edges of her consciousness. An unsettling, nagging feeling that eventually prompted her to gently awaken the slumbering Kiryuin next to her.

"Mmm…nnn…what…what is it, Ryuko? Are you _*yawn*_ all right?"

"Um, yeah. Well…no. Not really. Look, somethin' is buggin' me, big time. Sats, do you remember the thing Dad said in that one video, that hybridization might lead to the death of the host? Do ya think that's something I need to be concerned about?"

Satsuki froze for one brief moment before her situational awareness alarm seized control and quickly allowed her to provide a smooth front of casual dismissal. She stroked the young hybrid's head while whispering carefully crafted platitudes of comfort into her ear.

"Good heavens, no. Don't you worry about such things, okay? I'm sure that any such issues would have surely cropped up by now, and even if they did, we would figure out a solution. Have we not been able to decisively triumph over every single challenge that has ever crossed our mutual paths? Hmm?"

"Yeah, I guess so…"

"Well then, there it is. Look, I'll have Inumuta go over the research in detail, okay? If anything is flagged, and I'm sure that something like that would have already been brought to our attention by now, but nonetheless…we _will_ handle it as it occurs, all right? But for now, please do not allow yourself to be worried about the phantoms of theoretical possibilities. You are doing just fine, and will continue to do so. Your meditation is working wonders for controlling your temper, and even your archery skills are improving day by day! Don't you agree?"

"Um…yeah. I guess I do. Thanks, Sats. 'M sorry I woke you. I'm jus' bein' all silly and stuff, as usual…"

"It's quite all right. Now relax. Everything will turn out fine, Ryuko. I promise."

"…yeah. G'night, nee-san. Love ya…"

"I love you, too."

Ryuko quickly drifted off to a much-needed slumber adventure, where surreal dreams of secret cotton-candy laboratory looms created edible kamuis for her to don while bizarre whiskey-rocket artillery fireworks exploded over her head.

Satsuki eventually slipped into unconsciousness as well, but only after wrestling with a myriad of guilt-laden thoughts and self-accusations of treachery and deceit. She would do whatever it took to secure a safe future for her dear heart, no matter the cost to her own soul.

Little did she know that she would soon need to marshal all of her impressive faculties to guide their fates when they inevitably entered a state of chaotic peril, as was wont to happen around anyone of Kiryuin blood.


	13. - Dissonance -

\- Dissonance -

 _Monday, October 2_ _nd_ _, 7:04 A.M., Main office of The RECOVER Foundation's President - Kiryuin Satsuki_

"Madam President? Terribly sorry to bother you so soon before business hours, but it seems you have a visitor."

"Oh? Who might that be, seeing me here so very early?"

"It's a young woman, here to drop off some important paperwork, as well as some…permits?"

"Very well. See her in, please."

Twin doors parted to reveal one Matoi Ryuko, dressed in an off-white blouse and charcoal gray slacks, with a dark red bow scarf and matching red flats to top off this smart business ensemble. She cautiously stepped into the office, sapphire clamshell purse clenched between her hands as cobalt gear eyes darted nervously about the room.

"Ah, well now. Look at you! My, not only are you here early, but in such an impressive outfit, as well! I must say, dear...you clean up rather well! Consider me duly impressed, which is certainly hard enough for anyone to achieve before my own critical eyes." Satsuki's pearl-perfect teeth gleamed as she proudly regarded the delicate flower now blushing radiantly before her.

Nose scrunched up into a button of barely-concealed contempt, Ryuko glared warily at the saccharine, perky morning person from hell, a.k.a. her own sister, Satsy ' _Five A.M. Reveille_ ' Bitchykins.

"Ugh. Keep that up and I'll roll in the mud like a piggy, just to piss you off, 'Mistress Kiryuin'...oink, oink! Iori said to 'dress for success' today or whatever, so this dumb getup was all _his_ idea. I'm just gonna be sittin' behind a damn reception desk all day. I could do that just as easily in sweats, ya know! Prolly be more comfy that way, too."

"Yes, perhaps…yet that wouldn't serve to impress anyone, now would it? Really, though...I am being quite serious. I haven't ever caught a glimpse of you while dressed in such a respectable manner. You look rather dashing! You are certain to dazzle any visitor who crosses our grand threshold! Please, do sit down. We can chat before the office opens and you take up your position at the intake counter."

"Uh-huh. So the tux at the concert didn't count, then? Hmm. Hey, uh...you got anything to eat? I'm gettin' kinda hungry now."

"Oh? Did you miss breakfast this morning? That's not like you."

"Eh, my tummy was too upset to eat anything. Too nervous about all of this 'real job' stuff, I guess? Plus, I'm kinda allergic to mornings, so...it takes a while fer me to really wake up. _*sigh*_ Still not quite there yet, either."

"I see. Well, we can stop by the break room, I'm sure there will be something in there to suit your appetite."

"Yeah, sounds good! But first, I gotta get something out of the way, if that's okay with you?"

"Of course. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing major, really. Just...well, I have to set things straight between us, as maybe an apology of sorts? So...here. Check these out."

Ryuko stood up before Satsuki's desk, as prim and proper as she could muster. She solemnly rifled through her purse, whereupon she then laid down one, then two plastic cards, snapping them down with barely concealed enthusiasm as she did.

Satsuki employed her reading glasses to investigate the cards in detail. "Let's see. These are...your permits? I don't need to see your identification, Ryuko. I assure you, I know who you are! We have filed the appropriate employment paperwork already, so-"

"Listen here 'Boss', maybe you could stand to hit the full blooded coffee pot instead of that weak-ass decaf tea once in a while? Look _closer_ , eh?"

"Oh, I... _oh!_ My goodness, I hadn't realized! You finally obtained your actual driver's license? Ah, _and_ your motorcycle permit, as well! Ryuko, I am so very proud of you! You did it! I am so glad!"

"Ah-ah-ah, but wait, there's more! Along with your purchase of a fully legal imouto-san, you also get _this_ as a bonus gift! Ta-dahhh!"

Ryuko proudly tossed her latest achievement down upon the desk. A dark blue passport stared at Satsuki's surprised face, the gold foil seal casting a faint yellow shimmer across the desk's sunrise-lit surface.

"Can't get a red one until I'm _twenty_ , I found out. Hmph! But I couldn't wait that long, I wanted to plunk these all down at once just to see yer glorious face when I did it! Ugh, Ican'thaveaprettyredoneyetwhat _ever_! Gawd! Still, I'll have that red one soon enough...once we burn through  this one! Right, Sats?"

"Of course! This means that you can accompany me on my international business trips! How exciting!"

"Uh...well, I was thinking more 'vacation trips', but, yeah...that too, I guess? So, you ever get to go anywhere fun for business? Anywhere _I'd_ want to go?"

"Well, let's see. There's the upcoming tech symposium in France, the aerospace expo in New York, the-"

"NEW YORK **_CITY_**?! Hell, yes! _Sold_ to the hot chick with the spindle-shaped eyebrows! Imma be on _that_ flight, oh yeah! When are we hitting _the_ most badass city in the whole world, huh? Oh boy, I can't wait!"

"That trip is two months from now. If you can promise to behave, I'll arrange for you to be my personal-"

"Two _months?_ Aww, but I was hopin' fer an exotic vacation getaway as a reward fer bein' all super good and getting alllll these legal permits and documents and, and...things? Look, I'm being all irresistibly cute and stuff? Eh? Right?"

"Hmm, yes. I can see that. Well, the other thing you'll want to know about the New York trip is that Jakazure will be accompanying us."

"Huh? What's Short N' Pinky got to do with your business? That some shipping contract thing or whatever?"

"No, not quite. She misses her boyfriend, and she wants to-"

"Get _laid_ , right? Oi, the things some people will do just to get a little action...I mean, not like she could provide any _other_ kind of _*snort*_ action, right? Hey, I'll bet her man just can't _wait_ to get back up into the most uptight little pink...what?"

" _MATOI RYUKO!_ Show some respect, you uncouth, heathen demon! Nonon has certainly earned your respect by now, so please  do show her a modicum of courtesy, present or not!"

"Er, y-yeah, sorry. My bad. I'll keep a lid on it, I promise. Aw man, no more of 'the pout'! Come on! Please! I'm really sorry, I just forgot where we were fer a minute! Look, I'm back to being the 'International Business Matoi', okay? A total professional! Just...just turn off that pouting? Please, Sats-er...'Boss'?"

Satsuki turned her infamous _'Pout of Eternal Shame Infliction' (_ _永遠の恥の苦しみのふくれっ_ _面_ _)_ down to a low simmer...at this point, it may as well be named after her dear sister instead, she employed it so damned much to cow 'Ryuko the Ever-Rude' back into the realm of basic politeness. She kept her lips pursed in deadly reserve, however, should she have to chastise the world-class expert in weapons-grade aggravation once more.

"As I was _saying_...Nonon-san will be flying there to see him take part in an important recital - he will be a guest violinist at their famed Juilliard String Quartet concert - but more importantly, she will be meeting her boyfriend's parents as well."

"His…parents? Oh man. Does that mean what I _think_ it means?"

"Possibly. She has mentioned the 'f-word' recently...it may very well be leading up to something truly monumental. "

"Oh. I already knew they fucked. She told me herself that he has a huge-"

"Not THAT 'f-word', you dolt! _Fiancée!_ She means to eventually  marry him!"

"Oh shit!? I didn't know she was _that_ serious about the guy?"

"Well, she is. Look, keep that fact to yourself, please. It could do her irreparable harm if her family were to discover this now. Her father could move against her, possibly even have her passport revoked! He is still a very powerful man, after all. So do _not_ go blabbing about this, all right?"

"Oh, believe me. I ain't dumb enough to get in the way of _her_ supercharged libido! That'd be plain suicide! Oi, have you heard some of the kinky stuff she says about her 'Knight in Shining Rosin', huh?"

"Well, no. We don't gossip about such things. It's beneath her to do so, I'd think."

"Huh, no kidding? Well, my first tip off that you ain't been getting' all the dirty laundry from her own lips is that it's always 'beneath' her. She's _always_ ridin' his cock from up on top!"

"Ryuko! What did I just _say_ about respecting her name when-"

"Oi! Now look here, Satsuki! I don't mean to burst your self-righteous bubble an' all, but Nonon doesn't always go to _you_ with her private thoughts! We talk too, like girls sometimes do, and obviously about shit that _you_ don't discuss over tea and crumpets or whatever the hell it is you two do together!"

"If you...I...no, I was not aware of that. I wonder why she hasn't been bringing up these things with me? Oh, I hope I haven't offended her in some way...?"

"Naw, I don't think that's it. Look, she's probably tryin' to, uh…avoid bringing up awkward sex stuff with ya. She probably thinks it would make you all uncomfortable, ya know? I mean, Nonon knows about yer past now, and I bet she just doesn't want to risk stirring up any bad stuff. Know what I mean? You never know, sometimes it _does_ bug you, umm...talking about stuff like that. She's totally afraid of hurting your feelings, Satsuki. She loves you so damned much, like the hugest amount! If ya really think about it, she's sorta like your very own pocket-sized Mako, yeah? Only not nearly as loud! Oi, now wait a minute, _that_ sure as hell ain't true. Well anyways, you get my drift, I hope?"

"Yes, I think so. Look, Ryuko-san...I know Nonon's not exactly your closest companion by far, but if you could perhaps… _continue_ to listen to her in regards to such delicate matters? It would mean the world to me, as I do not wish to deprive her of such a necessary outlet…even if it means she apparently cannot come to me for it?"

"Oh, it ain't no big deal. I feel where you're coming from, all right? I know ya care about her annoying little ass, too. Nonon is like yer oldest, bestest friend. I guess I'd have to say that I'm really, really grateful that you had her to rely on, all those years. I mean if I couldn't be there to support ya and help through the tough times? Well then, she was the next best thing. Super protective, super dedicated...no, I do actually have mega respect for her because of that alone. Don't actually tell her I _said_ that, though! I'll listen to all her pervy stories for ya, don't worry. It's a valiant sacrifice, ya know...to hear about her sore _cervix_ , and her nasty morning _semen breath_ , and her surprising lack of _any_ gag reflex whatsoev-"

" _Gods above, Matoi!_ Enough already! I get the idea; now please...no more details!"

" _*snort*_ Sorry, boss. I'll try to filter out that sort of stuff in the _–ahem-_ future. _Heh-heh_!"

"Ye Gods, I had no idea she was such a depraved...! Well, a-anyways. On to more _*cough*_ appropriate workplace conversation. Let us...ah, let's get you something to eat, shall we? Can't have you hungry on your first day on the job, now can we?"

"Nope, guess not. Hey Sats, you got any bananas around here, by any chance?"

"Mmm, possibly. We would have to look...wait, _why_?"

"Why... _what_? A girl can't have a damned banana for breakfast? Fer real? There are company rules against that?"

"No, I suppose not..."

"Eh, just as well if you don't have any. I couldn't swallow them _nearly_ as effectively as Pinky could, believe me!"

" _Ryuko!_ Damn you to hell!"

"Aw heck, you ain't kidding about the business place being a stressful environment, nee-san! You look about ready to explode already!"

"Oh heavens, look at the time. It's not even eight, yet..."

"Yeah, well...you asked me to work here. Don't forget that little fact... _boss lady!_ "

Ryuko hummed to herself a jaunty little tune as Satsuki tried in vain to focus upon showing her new charge the ins and outs of Nonon's tight little _STOP THAT AT ONCE!_ …the expansive new layout of the cum-swallowing _COMPANY_ _GROUNDS, DAMMIT_!...since the man seed _MANSION!_ …had been recently cuntfingered _CON_ _FIGURED_ _! THAT IS_ _ENOUGH_ _!..._ to allow for the proper processing of those in need. She was quietly relieved that her rebellious submissive _SUB_ _CONSCIOUS_ _!_ had been tamed enough by her supreme willpower thus far to prevent any further hijacking off all over her greedy pink tongue _NO, JUST NO. I AM_ _DONE_ _. I must be losing it! I will quite clitorally explode if...LITERALLY! OH, THAT'S IT. I'M OUT...of the closetYOU SHUT UP!_

"Erm…Ryuko, I'll be right back. I just need to stop by the ( _firm mammaries)_ in _firm_ ary for some _(assfucking)_ … _as_ pirin. Oh, hell."

Poor Satsuki. It was going to be a long, hard dick-er… _day_ for her.

* * *

"All right, look here. Ain't nobody in a gang because society helped 'em right the first time, okay? Yeah, so I ran with gangs. I admit it. Led most of them, after a while. I ain't exactly proud of it, but I ain't gonna deny it, either. They looked to me fer guidance, how to be strong in the face of adversity, stuff like that. It's not like I campaigned for the position, believe me! It just happened. One day, there I was: the toughest survivor! People gravitate towards that, right? You know how it is...people sorta fall in line once they are confronted by someone who totally outclasses them. My determination overwhelmed them all, in due time. Hell, I got a lotta static from guys who just wouldn't allow a little _girl_ to make them look bad. So I had to be _that_ much badder than them, that's all! The baddest of 'em all: 'The Kanto Drifter' kicked a whole bunch of ass, 'cause she _had_ to, just to get results. I got the info I needed, one way or the other! So eventually it led me to Honnō City, and the rest is history."

The break room was spellbound by Ryuko's masterful retelling of her past heroic exploits. One foot perched upon a chair and with one fist shaking up in the air, she held the other clenched fist over her heart as she recounted her tragic story. This was supposed to be a quick meet-and-greet session, to break the ice and familiarize Ryuko with her co-workers. Instead it ended up becoming a minor spectacle, with the young firebrand plowing through the cool front of strangers as effectively as an icebreaker would smash its way to the Arctic Circle.

Observing from the doorway with barely-masked disdain, Satsuki quietly calculated that she needed to ease just a little bit of steam out of Ryuko's arrogant turbines, and she knew just how to do it, too: a carefully administered ego deflation was in order here. "Oh! Don't forget to tell them about how Uzu whipped your sorry behind in front of the entire Academy, Ryuko! Sometimes it _is_ important to feel the sting of defeat, in order to appreciate the glow of a hard-won victory. Wouldn't you agree?"

Eyes up to the ceiling, Ryuko scratched thoughtfully at her chin. "Hmm. Oh, yeah…so, listen up everyone! This Uzu guy that 'Boss Lady' here is talkin' about? Some of ya might have caught his exploits on the professional kendo circuit? Yep, that's right! Sanageyama Uzu is the guy we're talking about here! He's now the top ranked kendo champ in all of Japan! Yeah, so he beat me, like, _once_ when I was a newbie. Uh huh! Hey, so just between you and me…you all know he's, like… _compensating_ with that big old sword of his, right? Eh? _*snort*_!"

Ryuko pinched her fingers close, grinning as she estimated Uzu's manhood to be just shy of pathetic. Chuckles and guffaws greeted her ears as the joke impacted the crowd's attention. Ryuko drank in the hilarious sound of the room's chuckles, squinting eyes smiling all the way up until they met Satsuki's stone sober expression, which caused the young braggart to choke upon her own crass euphemisms.

"Urk! W-w-well anyways. _*ahem* Uh…_ yessir, so he royally kicked my bootylicious ass, way back in the day when I was just starting to be a real troublemaker 'round these parts! Well, I'll tell ya all a secret. So yeah, I kinda sorta got my dumb ass shot, not too long ago? Yep, that's right! Took a damn bullet right in the frickin' _back_! Oh now just relax, everybody…it was just some inept home invasion type thing gone wrong. I'm all right now, obviously! So yeah, when I finally got released from the hospital though? There he was, the big badass champion Uzu himself, taunting me! Yep, poor lil' _me_ , all pathetically weak and stuff from my stay! So I did what any girl woulda done when her pride was publically attacked: I publically tickle-tortured the crap outta him fer bein' so disrespectful to me! Yeah! So Sanageyama was all like ' _Hey Ryuko, I heard you dropped your guard?_ ' and I was all like ' _Oh, ya mean like…this?_ ' and I went and grabbed him by that stupid ass flared collar of his and gave him a real ribful o' Matoi's tickly wrath! Hell, I even got our buddy Inumuta to get it on video, too! That's right! I said to him ' _Gee, don't tell Amnesty International about_ _this_ _one!'_ and he went and recorded the whole thing! So yeah, that's 'Mr. Tough Guy Uzu' for ya! He felt my tickly little retribution, but  good! Ya ever see him around here, tell 'im Ryuko said ' _Kootchy-koo, sucker!_ ' Ha-ha!"

Raucous laughter and clapping followed Ryuko as she strutted out of the break room, proud as a proverbial peacock from all the lavish adulation. Satsuki quietly stalked after her, waiting until they were safely out of earshot of their co-workers to snag the ruffian painfully by the earlobe and fling her into an empty room.

"Ow! Satsuki?! _Owwww!_ What the f-"

 _"_ _SHUT UP."_ Words could not possibly contain more venom as these, injected directly into the young girl's ear like the whisper of a particularly angry spitting cobra. The young troublemaker froze as Satsuki hissed her warm-yet-somehow-icy breath of seething commentary regarding the breakroom commentary debacle.

" _You ungrateful_ _ **brat.**_ Matoi Ryuko, I'll have you know that Sanageyama-san gave nearly his entire volume of blood over for you to live when you were shot. All those transfusions…he nearly died, himself. Did you not know of that?"

"Wh-I…uh…n-no? Is that…is that true?"

 _"_ _Look into my eyes and tell me I'm lying."_

Ryuko couldn't rise up to this challenge, mortified as she was. The gravelly voice, the writhing anger, expertly hidden just out of detection to all, save those who knew her better. She reflexively shivered, knowing that Satsuki at her angriest could split stone as if it were merely wet chalk.

"He…no one told me _that_ , I…I thought you had…?"

"I had to endure my _own_ surgeries at that particular point in time. While they were certainly not the life-threatening debacles you endured, fighting just to stay alive…no, I could not offer you a drop of my own blood. Uzu was the only other person there with the required type, and no one else was available at the time. The amount of blood your fibers needed to repair that level of damage…you depleted the hospital's already-short blood supply in a matter of hours! _It was life or death_ , Ryuko…he risked his own life just to save yours! That's why he was too weak to fend off your damned _tickling,_ when you were later released. He was still recovering, even then! Think about _that_ the next time you decide to publically and viciously humiliate the man."

"Sats…'m so s-sorry, I d-didn't know he…no one ever _told_ me 'bout that! I-I…oh, no! I'm such an awful fuckin' bitch! P-please, f-f-forgive me, I'm s-sorr-eee…!" Ryuko bunched up her hands, covering an uncontrollably shaking chin as she tried to process the enormity of her sins. Rapidly blinking eyes fanned out droplets of warm tears as they streaked out unbidden.

The sincerity of these tears managed to thaw out even the ice-cold fortress of anger that had so effectively locked up the Kiryuin's huntress heart, so incensed by Ryuko's callous and shameful character assassination of one of her closest comrades.

Satsuki gently took the sobbing girl's head, cradling it against her own as she sought to bring this inflamed airship of anguish back to safe ground again. The last remnants of her seething animosity were evaporated by the very real regret that now railed against her iron shoulders. She smoothed over Ryuko's tousled hair, coaxing the upset youth down with lilting, cajoling words of carefully measured forgiveness.

"It's okay, Ryuko-chan, it's all right. Relax, it's _not_ your fault, sweetheart. Ssshhh…it was just a simple mistake, mistakes happen all the time. It's how you react to them that matters, okay? Try to relax, it will all be all right. I'm not blaming you. Yes, there you go…"

"Satsuki-sama, I swear to you by all that is holy that I did _not_ know about that! I _*sniff*_ never woulda treated him like that if I'd even been dropped the teensiest hint about it! I thought he was jus' makin' _fun_ of me when I got out of the hospital that day, ugh I was so friggin' mad! I * _sniff*_ didn't know he'd actually saved my damned w-worthless _ass_! Dammit, how _could_ I…?"

They slowly slumped down to the carpet together, dragged down by the collective weight of their memories, their heartache and their unified sorrows. Ryuko quietly wallowed in Satsuki's soft clutches in a near mirror-image of that fateful day when the elder caught the younger meteor child during her perilous atmospheric death-fall.

"Your 'ass' is more precious than all the world's diamonds, my poor angel. Please don't be so hard on yourself. I don't know _how_ that bit of information failed to make its way to your ears…I suppose it might be because we don't speak of that day very much? We still haven't, not…not really. It was the w-worst thing I have ever endured, truth be told. I thought you had died, right there in my arms. You very nearly did, too! You owe a life-debt to Tsumugu for his heroic actions, Mikisugi for his quick thinking, Uzu's life-giving blood sacrifice…hell, he even provided _me_ with a pint during my  own surgery! My…oh, I'm sorry, I never told you this either…I had lost more blood than was previously anticipated, when they sought to remove that combat blade from my butchered hand. You had burned through their entire on-hand stock of our blood type by then, so they were relying upon Uzu to provide until more plasma could be flown in. He…they had no choice, the surgeons took even _more_ from him so that I would not risk losing my hand, possibly my very arm to uncontrollable exsanguination. It was close, Ryuko. _Too_ close! This hand, the one that now strokes your tears away? I might not even _have_ that now, if it weren't for him being there."

" _*sniff*_ B-but he was okay, right? I mean, obviously he's alive and all better now! He still can't kick my ass, but he comes awful close sometimes!"

"Well, he suffered terribly from anemia due to the severity of the blood loss. It was Mikisugi who made that call, to go that far with the transfusions. He juggled the lives of Uzu, myself _and_ your own on that horrible night. That man somehow managed to oversee your trauma surgery, my own hand procedure and Uzu's recovery all at the same time! In fact, now I recall that when the blood shipment finally arrived, Uzu had to be the first recipient, over you _or_ me! Sanageyama knowingly took an enormous risk, Ryuko. He risked his very life for the both of us. He is a true hero, in every sense of the word."

"Damn. I'm really sorry, I don't remember much from that time? Blurs, mostly. Fragments, here and there."

"Yes, I know. It was a traumatic experience for all. I, too, saw things I…wish I had not seen."

"Umm…you _saw_ them, didn't you? Th-the fibers? I know you hinted about that before, but you never really straight up confirmed it. They…came right outta me that night, didn't they?"

"…yes, they did."

"Oh, God. I'm _so_ sorry if I scared you. I didn't mean to! I…l-look Sats, uh…ya see, sometimes I have these, y'know…dreams now and then? Nightmares, really. More often than I care to admit, too! So in these dreams I'm…s-stabbing this…this _guy_ , over and over? Some soldier, I think…and he's just quivering all over as I run him through with my…Satsuki? Oh God, _SATSUKI!_ "

Ryuko gasped as Satsuki started to retch uncontrollably, harsh wrenching spasms that racked her abdomen as she clutched painfully at her sides. Panicking, Ryuko could only kneel over her, horrified and mind locked as her dear sister struggled to wrest final control from this most insidious post-traumatic flashback.

Spots and sparks flew out before her cobalt eyes as Kiryuin Satsuki gritted her teeth and shook away the phantom fear tendrils that threatened to choke her, rip out her very insides. Ryuko cautiously offered one shaking hand and Satsuki immediately took it; even _she_ was not so proud as to not seize a hastily-tossed life preserver when she was in imminent danger of drowning.

Slowly, slowly she drew back her focus, _focus_ , _FOCUS, DAMN IT!_ With fist to mouth, sour bile was forced back for the time being…the horrid, spine-prickling visions had passed, finally beaten back by indomitable will. Satsuki gasped, not realizing that she had been holding her breath for far too long. She greedily gulped in cold air, mentally counting down as she sought to cement iron dominion deep within her psyche, once again.

Blinking blearily, Satsuki looked up to check on Ryuko's condition. She could not have been prepared for what awaited her gaze, however: a pale, gaunt expression and cold blue orbs of deep-seated worry, peeking out from chiseled pits of bruise-dark flesh. She could barely hear the tremulous whispers that slipped out from Ryuko's slitted lips…but she heard them, all right.

"Oh no. That's what happened, isn't it? I-that's what you saw. That was… _real_. Wasn't just a dream, was it? No, it was a real nightmare…f-for _you_ , Satsuki…oh shit, you've _known_ all this time, haven't you?"

There was no use in trying to dress up the cold, naked truth now. No flowery dressing could salvage it, for it was there for all to see, the facts written upon her own pained face. Satsuki nodded wordlessly, numbed and wooden, feeling at that moment just like her forever-damaged puppet hand: serviceable utility, but no sensations of feeling.

Ryuko nodded as well, putting together the pieces of a claustrophobic puzzle that she had no idea was even being worked upon, until it was suddenly locked into unavoidable place for her to now regard. She looked down warily at her outstretched palms, as if she was expecting her internal demons to suddenly manifest as external horrors in that exact moment. Shivering at the very idea, Ryuko then whipped her head up, hair forming a wild arc as she looked at her sister with utmost urgency.

"Satsuki…how the fuck can you _stand_ to be this close to such a monster?"

"How? Because I love her with _all my heart_. And also because…I, too, am a monster."

"You are _not_ a mons-"

" _Then neither are_ _you_ _._ "

"B-but I have these awful life fibers inside m-"

" _So do I._ "

"Yeah, maybe so…b-but now I'm a goddamned killer-"

" _So am I._ "

"Damn it, it's not the same! I've got lurking inside me the…oh hell, _the potential to_ _murder innocent_ -"

" _I_ _have_ _murdered innocents, Matoi! Multiple times, and of my own volition!_ "

" ** _No_** , that was all circumstantial! The difference here is that you _never_ lose control! I'm kinda _famous_ for it, Kiryuin! Shit, ask anyone!"

"You acted in defense of yourself, as well as my own sorry ass! That man was about to fucking _shoot_ me, Matoi! That blasted savage was seconds away from blowing my godforsaken _head_ off, until you intervened! I was…I was going to _let_ him, damn it!"

"…f-fucking… ** _what_**?"

"You _heard_ me _._ "

"I…yeah, I totally heard you, b-but…why would you wanna let him get away with cold-blooded murder, nee-san? _Why_?"

"Because…I _did_ get away with murder, Ryuko! Years ago, I killed his father. Me! _That_ is why he was there, why he took years to organize that whole damned assassination raid.  That is why I was not going to stop him…because I watched you d-die, right in front of me! I…my life was _over_ , at that point! Ryuko, you were _dead_! I held your bloody hand, felt your pulse fade away to nothing! What was I to do, kill him _too_? Wipe out his entire lineage in that terrible moment? Multiple generations of an innocent family, snuffed out by _my_ guilty hand, tool of the terrible Kiryuin family legacy? For what? Kill, kill and kill again…this is all I have ever known! No, I will admit that I succumbed to a terrible, fatal weakness in that horrid moment. I felt as though perhaps…I had never _truly_ loved anyone before I met you, Ryuko-chan. But then, watching that love die, I-I just…found that I couldn't bear the thought of living _without_ it. _My karma is to suffer._ This is the lot fate had chosen for me long ago, and I felt that somehow… _somehow_ , I owed that man his rightful revenge! I owe so many people so much blood! How am I to pay this awful debt, Ryuko? You don't know how it feels, to have that weight upon your very soul! I murdered his father! _How did you feel when someone killed_ _your_ _father, Matoi Ryuko_? You were consumed by vengeance, remember? _Vengeance!_ What made that man any less entitled to serve the very same ideal?"

Ryuko's nostrils quivered and flared as she channeled unknown fathoms of sheer rage at her dumb-ass sibling. So hyper-intelligent, so damned _smart,_ and yet so fucking clueless at the same time. How does that even _happen_? Ryuko snarled through painfully clenched canines as she called down a much-needed righteous illumination strike down upon her guilt-blinded sister.

"La-la-la. Kill, kill, kill…kill la kill, fuckin' la de fucking dah… _whatever!_ _Kill it!_ Fuck…that… asshole! Yeah, life is tough for everyone, Kiryuin Satsuki! Everybody has to make choices in life! That fucker proved himself to be evil the moment he _chose_ to do what he did! He didn't care about the concept of harming goddamned innocents, either! I gathered that much from what you an' Tsumugu told me about that ruthless squad of chucklefucks he used to try and kill us! That selfish piece of shit woulda steamrolled a damned orphanage just to smite you in his quest for revenge, am I right? He wasn't 'honorable' or 'righteous' at all! Ya wanna know what I think, Sats? I think that cocksucker reported here for _his_ dose of karma, served piping motherfucking _hot_ by yours truly! Shit, even when I was fucking _dead_ , I knew better than that! Yeah, so…Captain Ahab there, he's the one who precipitated those damned events! You're concerned so very much about yer damned karmatic scales, and I'm sure he had his own twisted set, too…but what the both of ya missed is that those scales were always on an even _bigger_ set of scales! _The whole planet's fate rested in_ _your_ _hands, Kiryuin Satsuki!_ Yours! Not  his, and not mine! Yeah sure, you have all the time in the world **_now_** to weigh and inspect what _might_ have gone wrong and what you  maybe coulda possibly done better! Fuck, didn't you say that hindsight's always 20/20, not too long ago? Well…guess what, Silly Satsy? _Looks like you need reading glasses for your soul, too!_ "

The air between them transformed into mortified silence, molecule-still and burdened with the impossible thickness of acrid, stung nerves. Ryuko huffed and steamed quietly, jaw set vise-tight as she reluctantly forced herself to watch random specks of dust flit and swirl about in the shafts of sunlight streaming in from the bay windows. Their shared atmosphere was supersaturated with naked pain now, it could take no more.

Satsuki just sat there, staring dully into the space near Ryuko's head. She was vaguely aware of the shape, the familiar 'mess o' rebellious follicles' that dominated the ruffian's backlit silhouette. The very idea of prodding it with more heated speech was to foolishly invite a forest fire, a conflagration from which there would most assuredly be no emotional survivors.

One of her eyelids twitched, unbeknownst to the owner of said eye. Ryuko eventually noted these nearly imperceptible movements, and at first she thought it was signaling an imminent tear or two. It had happened before, could even happen again? It was certainly possible. She'd seen it, one of a few individuals to ever witness such a rare phenomenon.

But no, not now. Mortified shock was all that was pooling in the Kiryuin's eerily calm eyes right now. Pangs of remorse pricked Ryuko's heart as she took in the sight of the once-proud woman: brought to her knees by the awesome weight of truth, both figuratively and literally. She bit her lip nervously, then decided to take a chance and open up a hesitant line of communication again.

"I- _*ahem*_ Uh, hey…'m really _sorry_. Didn't mean t' hurt ya like that."

Satsuki just shook her head slightly. Eyes still fixated on a nonexistent point, she shrugged weakly, barely disturbing her blouse as she did so.

"Sats? Hey, I…uh…borrowed yer favorite purse today."

The smallest nod. Eyes still not in the present.

"Um…yeah so, I noticed your eyes are really pretty, here in this light…?"

Even smaller nod. Not even a blink.

"Huh…okay, okay. Oh, yeah…by the way. I'm pregnant with Mikisugi's kid. Whoops!"

A long, protracted blink.

Ryuko allowed a tiny snort of humor to color the room's mood. She then casually mumbled "Yeah, I'm gonna name it 'Ragyo, Junior'. You cool with that?"

A small head shake, then a dreamy "…whaaat?" rolled out.

"Are ya up fer some free babysitting, then? Say, maybe you can breastfeed for me? Put those righteous knockers to good use, eh?"

"Over…my… _very_ dead…body, Matoi…"

"Aw, all right. Guess not, then. Ya spoilsport."

"Sh…should…should have…"

"Oi? I shoulda what, Sats?"

"Should have…just swallowed, Ryuko-chan…"

"Ew! Oh my ever-loving God! So you _did_ hear me, ya damned space cadet!"

"Yes…didn't _want_ to, but…I did. I…I heard it all. Every word."

"Nee-sama…please just _look_ at me, if only fer just a brief second, okay?"

Satsuki slowly turned to give Ryuko her full, unflinching gaze. Ryuko braced herself for…something, but there was nothing to brace against, since nothing further actually happened. Satsuki just stared at her, in what seems to be an almost casual manner. Ryuko knew better, however.

"Are ya mad at me?"

"No, Ryuko."

"Are ya gonna be mad at me?"

"No, Ryuko. I have no reason, nor the right."

"Ah, you don't ever need either of those to be angry with me, Sats…it's like second nature by now, ain't it?"

"I'm not angry, Ryuko. Nor will I be."

"Uh, okay. How come?"

"I'm too busy trying to figure out how to be humble. I have been humbled, just now. So that is what I need to be right now. Humble…and rightfully so."

"Oh. Okay, I guess."

"Ryuko, I am sorry. I-"

"No, you ain't gotta be s-"

" _No_. Please, Ryuko-sama. Let me finish. I must."

"A-all right. Go ahead."

"You are right. Your observations have so much wisdom, the gravity of which I simply cannot ignore. I have been so wrong, so _very_ wrong about the philosophies I have espoused up until now. I've been so caught up in my plight, all of this terrible guilt, it has tainted my soul for far too long. I…did what I could…oh, _how does that quote go?_ 'Do what you can, with what you have, where you are'. The American President, Theodore Roosevelt…I believe he said that, or something similar. Why have I not acknowledged that before now, I wonder? I did what I _could_ , as the person I _was_ , at the _time_. I do finally need to recognize that fact, don't I?"

Ryuko nodded enthusiastically, lips sealed tight for fear of breathing the wrong answer and clumsily shattering this most vital moment. She carefully snaked her hand over next to the Kiryuin's outstretched palm, allowing Satsuki to move in and close the distance herself, should she decide to do so.

She did so, a warm, firm grasp that held a lifetime of earnest appreciation; sincere thanks for the most precious shred of wisdom that had ever been bestowed upon her. Squeezing firmly, Satsuki's smile beamed through the haze of her melancholy. They helped each other up, clinging to one another much as they had in their recent time together.

"I owe you a few things, dear Ryuko. To you, I owe the world, my heart and my eternal thanks. I will pay you back for this new lease on life you have gifted me. I swear upon my very honor! I will use the correcting lens of your generous observations to properly 'read' the world from now on. Perhaps then my soul won't be so damned myopic, hmm?"

"Yeah, that's good. Glad to help, even if it was in the clumsiest way ever! I…uh, oh crud! I think we got incoming, boss…!" Ryuko pointed a slender finger through the crack in the door, gesturing diagonally down the hallway.

The president's secretary was zeroing in on their general position, a group of visitors in tow. Officials from social services, Satsuki surmised, based upon their dress and subtle demeanor. Of course they had not bothered to make an appointment, such was their hectic schedule.

"Uh, you want me to run interference, Satsuki? I c'n buy ya some time to get yer shit together? I'd totally understand if-"

" _-ahem-_ Nonsense, Ryuko. Step back, please. This is what I _do_."

Satsuki smoothed over her outfit, then gracefully stepped out into the expansive hallway, alighting her face with the dignified, warm smile that should accompany the duty of honoring these esteemed guests.

Ryuko marveled at this deft shifting of gears; the smooth, masterfully professional attitude that Kiryuin Satsuki emanated as she cordially greeted the visitors. It was all in how she dealt with life's unpredictable waves and currents: _this_ was what made her fit to be President Kiryuin Satsuki.

* * *

The rest of the day was, in comparison, blessedly uneventful. Ryuko reeled in her cheeky attitude for a far calmer and more level-headed approach, seeking to somehow present the image of a respectful worker who could get the job done (or at least lay the groundwork for how to someday _be_ that kind of person, at any rate). Satsuki enthusiastically lost herself in numerous work chores, hustling from paperwork pile to phone number lists to e-mail wrangling.

Of course, people like Satsuki always had a complex mind that worked on multiple levels: the 'here and now', the 'where to go next', and the 'did it all go well' formulas were all being processed in rigorous and painstakingly thorough manners. By the close of the work day, 'here and now' was deemed to be a fair success; progress was smooth in that area, and she allowed herself to feel a smidgen of pride in piloting these choppy currents so well.

"Where to go next' was plotted out, as well. Satsuki could see the paths to success in the near future, she just had to balance them, nurture them with good old fashioned work and dedication. Fortunately, that was her specialty.

 _'_ _Did it all go well…?'_ That query stuck in her thoughts for a long while. She was still musing over that one when Ryuko poked her head into the office, nudging the door open quietly to test the waters. The subordinate worker in her told her to play it cool and be respectful, here at the workplace. The little sister in her then promptly booted the faithful worker in the ass and kicked her out; since it was past quitting time, it was her turn to cut loose.

"Oi! Bossy Pants! We stayin' late or what?"

"Hmm? Oh, if you wish to leave, you may. You did a good job today, Ryuko. I am quite proud of you! Please do stick to shadowing Ms. Amane-san, she shall teach you the ropes of dealing with the public. She's been doing this for a long time, and I am confident that you'll learn a great deal from her."

"Uh-huh, will do. So…you got plans after work?"

"No, catching up on work was all I had planned. What's on your mind?"

"Well, I wanted to see if you were down for some archery lessons…it's been a while."

"Mmm, I suppose I could find the time. I owe you that much, at least. Where were we, again?"

"Ya know, I was actually thinkin' of going in a different direction. Are ya familiar with Mongol archery, by any chance?"

"Yes I am, to a certain extent. The equipment and tactics are certainly different, as is the draw. You would need to invest in a different type of bow altogether, of course. Hmm, that is a marked departure from our usual fare, though I see nothing wrong with delving into it as a history lesson of sorts. What about it has piqued your curiosity, if I may be so bold as to ask?"

"Oh, uh…nothing, really…just seems really challenging? I'd like to try it out, see if I can use that kind of training for anything interesting."

"I see. Well, I - wait, hold on. Why do I see you using this sort of skill for…nothing good? In fact, if I imagine you of all people utilizing such a—oh no, absolutely _not_. I can see what you are thinking."

"Wh-what? Naw, I swear I ain't gonna do anything really crazy or-"

"Ryuko, you want to learn how to shoot from your motorcycle. You certainly don't have a _horse,_ nor do I see you obtaining one! I'm not entirely brain-dead. _You_ may be, but I beg to differ!"

"Gah?! _How the f-_ shit, you're no fun at all!"

"So you keep saying. Well, Ryuko…you may call me 'old-fashioned' if you wish, but I personally feel that fun might involve freedom. The freedom from being in _prison_ for such a reckless thing! So the answer is a most emphatic ' _NO'_ , backed by my very own patented ' _try me and see if I'm joking_ ' guarantee."

" _*tch*_ Ugh… _fine_. Spoilsport."

"You were really going to do that, weren't you?"

"Pfft. What _ever_. I could pull it off, ya know. I'm that good. The best!"

"Yes, I've heard of your exploits, what you can accomplish from the back of a motorcycle. I have even witnessed it in action, as you may recall?"

"Ha! What a day _that_ was! I swiped that glove from ya, fair and square…right off yer very own hand, suckah!"

"Indeed you did. You also left a legendary trail of destruction in your path, 'Tornado Traveler'. I regret to inform you that such a way of living is _over_ , dear. We can ill afford to be twin engines of destruction, as we once were!"

"Aw, you make it sound all glamorous and sweet when ya describe it _that_ way! I can see it now, the ' _Twin Sisters of Destruction!_ ' Aw, hell yeah! The stuff of legend!"

"We're not twins, you dope."

"Uh, well…yeah? I know that."

"So the name is thusly illogical."

"Oh, fuck logic. Gosh, lighten up, ya bum. It was fun! Here, I'm stealing a chair."

"These chairs are for guests to sit in, you cannot 'steal' one. And another thing: none of that was ever 'fun', Ryuko. It was war, plain and simple."

"Well, I thought it was fun."

"Oh, did you now?"

"Uh…well, maybe I didn't know it was fun at the time, but…yeah, sure…maybe a bit?"

"… _really?_ Even when Harime Nui completely outsmarted and then utterly defeated you? Played you like a fool, shredded your kamui and then left your nearly nude body exposed to the entire world in such a disgraceful fashion?"

"Urk! N-now that was different! See, that was just a-"

"I took a picture of that, you know."

"You fucking _what?!_ What the hell did you just say?"

"I, Kiryuin Satsuki, president of Honnōji Academy's Student Council, did at that time secure photographic evidence of your sordid defeat, to serve as a potential threat of future blackmail."

"You…you didn't…?"

"Hmm. Ah yes, I can see it now, as if it were yesterday! The mighty Matoi Ryuko just lying there, her limp body all shamefully spread out and defenseless for all to see…"

"But…you didn't do… _that_ though, r-right?"

"No, I didn't."

"WHA-AAT? Quit fuckin' with me! Satsuki, did you do that or not?"

"Perhaps…I did."

"I'll kick your ass to the moon, you titanic bitch!"

"You will not."

"Omigod, I-I'm gonna cry!"

"You will not."

"That's it! Gimme yer phone."

"It was not taken with _this_ phone."

"* _gasp!*_ So you _did_ take a picture then! You admit it!"

"I admit _nothing_. That little detail could merely be a ruse, crafted to lure you into believing a falsehood, a mirage. It has always been child's play to bait you, dear. You are so predictably reactive to my whims!"

"Satsukiiiii…?"

"Oh, relax your exploding heart. I would do no such thing. To think of me, taking advantage of a fallen foe in such a reprehensible manner. Why, the very idea!"

" _*whew*_ …you _promise_ me?"

"Of course! I swear to you that I took no such picture."

"Oi, well that's a relief! Boy, you really had me goin' there for a-"

"Come now, Ryuko-chan. It's obvious I would have no part in that. I mean, after all… _Inumuta_ was the one charged with documenting everything!"

"Aaaaugh!"

"Now as to if I _still_ possess such a photo? Well now,  that is something else entirely…"

 _"_ _KIRYUIIIIN SATSUKIIII!"_

"Promise me that you'll behave, and I just might turn it over to you. Hmm? The _only_ copy in existence…?"

"Buh-buh…yuh…muh…"

"Listen up! My terms are quite simple. _No_ stupid archery tricks. _No_ attempts at motorcycle-based projectile combat. _None_. Is that crystal clear? You could be hurt, and others could be as well. Not to mention the destruction you'd cause! Promise me, Ryuko!"

"I…you…rrrgh! _*mumble-grumble*_ I…I promise, you bitch."

"Make me believe you. _Persuade me_."

" _*sigh*_ I, Matoi Ryuko, do solemnly swear to my evil, conniving, blackmailing, cold-hearted sister-in-twisted-arms Kiryuin ' _Titanium Thongzilla_ ' Satsuki that I will not attempt any awesome or fun archery stuff while on my motorcycle."

"On _any_ motorcycle. Or from _any_ motor vehicle, for that matter!"

"Fuck, _fuckity_ , _fuck_. Fine, yeeessss! I swear! Blast you!"

"Ah, very well. Your word is bond, and I shall hold you to that."

"Fine, whatever! So…?"

"So, what?"

"Uh…hello? The picture? Gimme it, now! Imma _immolate_ that son of a bitch!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Wh-what the _fuck_? You promised me! We had an agreement!"

"Ryuko, it never existed."

"You…fucking…twat!"

"Next time, read the fine print. Oh, look…here it is. I'll read it to you! _'This deal shall lead to a forever scorched prized guitar, which shall be reduced henceforth to cinders by my very own lighter, should this promise ever be_ _broken_ _.'_ Hmm, that sounds serious, Matoi! Better to tread carefully from now on, yes?"

"How _dare_ you pull such a dirty, low-"

"I shall secure your safety, Ryuko-chan…no matter the cost! Learn that now or accept it later, it is your choice. I'll not have you being that reckless anymore! Securing your personal safety is now paramount to me over protecting your slightly wounded pride. I'd rather you were mad _at_ me than dead in _front_ of me. _End. Of. Story._ "

"I…a-all right. I get it. Uh, look…I'm not _that_ reckless though. Gimme some credit here?"

"I'm sorry. I hope you understand that was something of a joke, if admittedly a poorly executed one? I'm not good at wielding levity in an effective manner, so if I truly hurt you with it, I profusely apologize."

"Huh. Yeah, I guess so. But still…"

"Look, Ryuko? About…earlier today. I need you to underst-"

"No, please don't. I _get_ it. Satsuki, I understand what happened, and the why, too. We obviously need to communicate more…or at least better and more effectively, right? But the only message that I'm really getting out of all that chaos is…is…"

"…yes?"

"That you love me something fierce. And it kinda scares me, but it's also kinda comforting at the same time? I _can_ see the underlying thought, even if it's a scary ordeal to actually reach it."

"Yes, this is very true. I'm glad that you _do_ detect that, as I'm quite often apprehensive that you miss my true intentions. I'm really not very good at getting that message across to you, I fear."

"Hmm…I disagree. Message received, loud and clear! I love you so much it scares me, too."

"Please don't fear my love. I will freely admit that it is awkward and uncoordinated and ungraceful, but it is very real. This I swear. You are the very heart of my existence, and I simply cannot bear the thought of you being in any sort of danger, regardless of circumstances."

"I know, I know. So…hey, let's bail from here, yeah? All that boring old work'll still be here tomorrow. Oh yeahhh, I almost forgot! We now have a certain order to pick up!"

"Order? What… _oh!_ Did he finally call?"

"Yep! It's completed, and about damned time! Gee, that order only took like four frickin' months to finish! I think he coulda maybe sped it up just a little bit, considering all the dough we tossed his way."

"Now, Ryuko-san. A true craftsman takes his time, and he is the very best at what he does. Considering what he has created, as well as the significance of such a piece…there are very few _mukansa_ swordsmiths available to create such masterful work on the level we desired, and we were lucky to even secure the talents of such a person in the first place!"

"Yeah, yeah, blah, blah, history and all that. Hey, that dude just about jumped outta his shoes at the chance, once he found out what it _really_ was! So ya wanna go swing by and grab it tonight, then? The guy said he'd be around his shop later this evening to work on some other projects."

"That would be a most welcome diversion! Let us both bring some joy into Uzu's life for once, yes?"

"Heh, ya mean instead of denial and constant disappointment? He'll never get us down!"

"Mmm, well…I don't know about that, Ryuko. His skill only increases, while my own has regrettably faltered. This hand of mine does not serve me well in that capacity any longer. I am still a rather competent practitioner, of course…but my days as the fearsome 'Divine Wind of Kendo' are over, I'm afraid."

"Ha-ha! Oh, and _speaking_ of Mongols…!"

"Oh, goodness. A most adept observation, Ryuko! And here I thought you just slept through Mikisugi's history classes!"

"No, that was Mako. C'mon. Let's go and show the monkey how we really feel. We totally owe him a surprise visit! Hell, come to think of it, I guess we both owe him way more than that, huh?"

"Ah, this is true. Perhaps you'll even scrape up some actual respect for him as well?"

"Whoa, now just hold on there, Satsy. Let's not go talking crazy here…"

* * *

They stepped through the main entrance of the dojo to find a cavernous practice space, empty save one green-clad figure who was diligently executing some rather complicated forms on the sparring floor. He stopped suddenly mid-swing, swiveled towards the entrance and called out a jubilant greeting. "Ah! Ladies! Why, this is an unexpected surprise! Welcome to my most humble dojo. Oh lord, I would have made my students clean up around here, had I known you were stopping by so late!"

"What, _you_ clean something up? _*tsk!*_ Guys, they're all alike! Always needing someone else to clean up after them!" Ryuko mumbled as she held the door open, and Satsuki fixed her with a glare as she strode into the room. "Oh, like _you_ should talk, you 'Laundry Day Massacre Fugitive'? Don't be so sexist, you twit."

That barbed comment served to sew the punk's mouth shut for a brief moment, which Uzu duly acknowledged by snorting under his breath, then subsequently bowing to his surprise guests. "To what do I owe the honor, my most esteemed comrades? Business or pleasure?"

Satsuki smiled as he graciously took her trench coat and hung it upon the inner door's coatrack. "A bit of both, perhaps. We come tonight bearing gifts. Ryuko, could you be so kind as to fetch-" She glanced towards Ryuko, who unceremoniously shoved a long package out for Uzu to take. Satsuki trained a look of awkward disapproval upon her wayward assistant, head cocked to one side. " _*tsk*_ Well, I was hoping for a slightly grander presentation than _that_ , Ryuko. This is a momentous occasion! Could you not have waited until I explained the gravity of this moment to him?"

Ryuko just shrugged, eyes wide with a fidgety mix of embarrassment and impatience. She then waggled the box in front of the perplexed man in an impatient effort to hurry things along. She was tired of Satsuki's glacial exposition and just wanted to skip straight to seeing the look of pure shock on his monkey face. Uzu perused the box for a brief moment, then looked up at them with a quizzical expression.

"Hm. A sword? For me? Well, it's not even my birthday yet! Not that I'm complaining, mind you! But I feel as though I should ask about the exact occasion…?" Both pairs of eyes that looked at him were filled with sudden surprise. Ryuko squinted with frustration, then screwed up her nose at his rather blunt exclamation.

"Ugh. Gawd, you dummy! Look, yer supposed to open it up and at least _pretend_ to be surprised? No guessing until you open the damned present! Man, I swear. You're denser than concrete! No wonder Nonon calls you a monkey! All crass and no class!"

Uzu shouted back at her, defiant fist in the air. "Look, I can't help it if my senses are so acute! I can sense the shape, clear as day! Next time, try putting it in a sturdier box if you want to keep any secrets from me, Matoi!"

Satsuki rolled her eyes at such childish quibbling. Sometimes she wondered if _they_ weren't somehow long-lost siblings, such was their antagonism towards each other. "That's enough out of both of you, please! Now Uzu, I _was_ going to take the time to present this in a proper and dignified manner, but apparently I forgot exactly  who I came here with today? Well anyways…Ryuko's untimely jumping of the proverbial gun aside, this is obviously a gift meant for you. It is a token of our most sincere appreciation, for all your years of dedication and hard work. Please do open it, my friend. You might still manage to be surprised, after all? You only _think_ you can know the whole story at a glance!"

Ryuko stuck her tongue out at him, just fast enough for Satsuki to miss as she turned her head to nod towards the box. Nostrils flaring, Uzu gritted his teeth as he carefully set the container upon a desk and casually flipped the lid open. It was indeed a sword, as his keen skills had detected. A very beautiful sword, as a matter of fact. Picking it up, he perused the fine craftsmanship of the scabbard. Humming to himself, Uzu then slowly drew the sword out, its blade gleaming under the dull lights. He marveled at the weapon's perfect balance, then found himself drawn in by the hypnotic _hamon_ pattern, marking the perfect marriage of martensitic and pearlitic steel along the length of the blade. Hmm, now  this sort of flawless differential metal hardening is an old-school technique. _Very_ old-school. Well now, whoever created this piece really knew his stuff! Most interesting…

Mumbling to himself as he read the blade's inscription, Uzu's eyebrows raised up higher and higher as characters were carefully examined. "Ahh hmm… _*ahem*_ …now lessee here. ' _Kotegiri-tachi'_ …ohh, no kidding? Now _this_ …this is a fine replica of a rather famous sword! Yes…the attention to detail here is simply incredible! I can sense the fine crystallization patterns in the blade…my goodness, this is such a well-made instrument! You ladies certainly spared no expense on whoever crafted such a lovely piece! I am truly honored! Oh, this bad boy is going right up on the trophy wall over my desk!"

Satsuki nodded slightly, then gently issued a calm clarification of the facts to the self-proclaimed sword expert. "Ah. I feel that I should let you know that it is not a replica, Sanageyama-sama. It is quite real. You have my word."

Uzu stared intently at her, then eyeballed Ryuko, then swiveled back to Satsuki. He laughed suddenly, the loud exclamation echoing in the room. "Ha! Yeah, right! That's a good one, Satsuki-sama! Oh sure, I can just see it now. _'Hey sis, let's go and put one over on dumb ol' Uzu'_ , right? Eh? Well...nice try, girls. This can't possibly be real. That would mean this is an _actual_ Masamune blade! The _Kotegiri-Masamune_ , to be exact! No, I know _exactly_ what I am looking at! Well now, _this_ monkey didn't wake up any dumber this morning, I'll have you know! It's just a replica. Oh sure, it's an amazing forgery! But still…it _can't_ be real. There's just no way."

Ryuko smirked and turned her head, coughing quietly as she sought to conceal the giddy laughter now bubbling up to the surface. Satsuki chose to face his disbelief head-on with a quiet sort of calm humming. Uzu grinned broadly, proud of his superior detective skills at sniffing out such an obvious ruse. But the more he regarded the unnervingly serious demeanor of the Kiryuin woman now before him, the less certain of his judgment he was.

Looking down once again at the sword, Uzu snorted, then tried to conjure up a confident chuckle. It looked so real: the superb lines, the magnificent details…his otherworldly senses were telling him that the quality of this blade was simply unparalleled, possibly even the best blade he had ever beheld. But for it to be the real thing? Pfft! _He_ wasn't going to fall for such an obvious trick. Right?

"Pfft! _I'm_ not going to fall for such an obvious trick! Now look here, if I were to assume it's real, this would be one of the most legendary swords ever made! This…no, this is not the sword used by Lord Asakura Ujikage himself in battle, I mean _come on_! That would make this a priceless relic! This can't be the…real thing… _*ahem*_...now can it, Lady Satsuki? Come on. Admit that, at least."

"What, that it's priceless? Quite possibly. Yet a price it certainly had, Uzu-sama. Let's just say that a certain corrupt government official once felt an obligation to pay respects to a close business associate of Kiryuin Ragyo. Oh, she found it so delightfully humorous, to have the very government of Japan itself bowing down and beseeching from her organization a most merciful boon! So there it rested in his private collection, until that very associate's family found themselves in the deepest of debts, fallout from the end of Ragyo's reign of terror. The opportunity then presented itself to rescue a legendary piece of history, which I promptly did."

Ryuko cleared her throat, eager to push Uzu's clumsy embarrassment out for all to see. "Hey, we were so lucky to grab this thing when we did. It was gonna be snapped up by some foreign sword collecting bozo before some sneaky financial strings were yanked by yours truly! You better believe it's the real deal, considering the dough it took to get it! Feelin' dumb yet there, eh smartass?"

Crossing her arms, Satsuki nodded, then added her own flavorful details. "Actually, I pulled the actual 'strings'. The auction tip off was received through some business associates of mine. Ryuko here was kind enough to help out by securing the majority of the funding necessary to make it possible. It was a fierce battle, but we won out in the end, of course."

His eyes grew wide, the facts finally falling securely into place. "So it _is_ a real…! My God. A true Masamune blade? Why, I don't deserve this! I—b-but this must have cost a small fortune to buy! Wait, no…a large fortune! Hell, I can't even imagine the immense-"

Ryuko slapped her thigh in frustration, the resounding smack echoing in the room. "Oi! Why don't ya let us decide what is deserved here, eh? It's just money, you jerk-off! Look, Sats said this thing would have extra special meaning to you or whatever. Was she wrong or what, huh? Yeah, you just go ahead and tell her she was wrong about something, I dare ya!"

Uzu stared at the sword with great reverence as he mumbled a quiet reply. "Ah, no. She was, as usual, not wrong in the least. This sword was named the _Kotegiri-Masamune_ …you see, legend has it that the lord who wielded it managed to cut off an enemy samurai's arm in battle during the Ōnin War, over five hundred years ago! Because of this, it's named after that wrist strike, the very one I call out during my matches. And Masamune was Japan's greatest swordsmith, of course! To be worthy of even _holding_ such a sword…it would take a true champion of legend to deserve such an honor." His gaze was lost in a swell of reminiscence about histories past, both long ago as well as more recent events.

Satsuki placed one hand upon his shoulder, squeezing gently in an effort to get his attention. "Uzu-san, you _are_ such a champion, my friend. You served me most faithfully as one of my top lieutenants, and I simply could not have made it this far without your penchant for displaying sheer bravery in the face of pure evil. We took great pains to secure this sword in the name of your honor. Will you accept it?"

He sat down at the desk, suddenly caught in a rare current of absolute seriousness. His eyes never left the sword as chin was balanced upon fist, a stunned look upon his face. "Hoo boy. What a funny week this has been. You know, it's funny…my parents were here earlier this week. They stopped by to preach to me about my status as a respected kendo champion, and how I needed to be careful not to tarnish _their_ reputation by abusing my own! I couldn't believe it. Finally… _finally_ , I'm not living under the shadow of my 'so-much-better' older brother. Now they view me by my own light! Of course they would tell me this by berating me, as usual! But still, the whole 'noting my newfound respect' sentiment was a nice change from never being good enough in their eyes, that's for sure! I thought _that_ was to be the surprise to end all surprises this month! Now this…I can't believe I'm sitting here, accepting an actual Masamune sword as a gift."

Uzu fiddled absently with a tiny sword letter opener on his desk, twirling it back and forth as he considered these events. "It's strange, when you think about it. I'm currently undefeated on the kendo circuit. I've accomplished most of my personal goals: won my family's genuine respect, achieved widespread fame as a fighter…hell, I'm almost worried about peaking too early."

Satsuki regarded him with a withering look. "Peaks are for mountains, Uzu. You must seek to aim ever higher. There are _no_ limits, save that which you set upon yourself! And as far as the sword is concerned…please do be careful with it. It's not a bloodthirsty Muramasa blade, you know."

"Ah, indeed I shall. It shall see no blood, I promise you. Such a work of art! It should be in a museum, to tell you the truth. In fact, I think I _did_ perhaps see this in the museum once, when I was a kid!"

"Perhaps. It is now yours to do with as you see fit. You may have seen it in the museum. It had, in fact, been preserved in the Tokyo National Museum, up until that government stooge used his position to confiscate it in an effort to appease Ragyo. It was displayed there for the longest time…as a blade only, of course. As you can see, this sword has now been masterfully rebuilt. This blade has not been mated to a handle in over three hundred years!"

Uzu nodded thoughtfully. That must have been the reason, why his senses were confused when he first examined it. The handle was brand new, this he could immediately tell…it had then been erroneously assumed that this was an indicator of its status as a wholly-made replica. Well, he knew better now, that was for certain. He raised up slowly and faced his former commander, fixating an almost fanatical stare of adulation upon her as he did.

"Lady Satsuki-sama. I cannot tell you how this makes me feel. I don't deserve such a gift! There's no need to acknowledge my service in this manner. It was the right thing to do…I knew it was my destiny. In fact, I owe _you_ more! By serving you, I learned more than I ever could have anywhere else. I would not possess the faculties I have at my disposal now if it weren't for me striving to be a challenge for your own elite skills. True, I suppose I never got one up on you, not really…but I'm proud to have been second place to you, Academy President Kiryuin-sama."

Satsuki responded with a subtle, glowing smile that Uzu had never really witnessed before in his illustrious leader: her eyes danced in a refreshing, almost mischievous manner. "Uzu, I am not your superior. Not any longer. Please just call me Satsuki from now on. My old name, those old titles? They have long since been retired. I am no longer she…I am simply _me_."

"Hmmm. I cannot promise that I will be able to honor such a request."

"I no longer have the authority to enforce it."

"Ahh…? Well now, that means you really _have_ changed."

Uzu placed the sword back into the scabbard, then lowered it down into the wooden case, gently nestling it back into the delicate velvet silhouette lining the box interior. His fingers tapped thoughtfully upon the handle as he considered the enormity of the gesture now before him.

"I will honor your request, on one condition. Fight me again with all of your focus, here and now. Bring _her_ out of retirement for one last, glorious match, for old times' sake! Would you do me the honor of granting me this one request?"

"Hmm. Very well, Sanageyama-san. I accept. Have you a _gi_ I may borrow for the time being? My work outfit is hardly ideal for such combat."

Uzu's eyes lit up, buzzing like a sugar-addled child at the exciting prospect of the coming duel. "Oh, sure! I got all sizes out back, I snagged a big bundle discount from the uniform store! Be right back!" Sanageyama darted away, rifling through a back closet for a suitable uniform. Springing back in a green blur, he delicately presented the package, still wrapped in plastic, to the lady now before him. Satsuki graciously nodded as she accepted the uniform.

Ryuko guided Satsuki to the changing rooms as Uzu excitedly began a set of warm-up routines. She peeked around the corner at his raucous flailing before casting a concerned eye towards her sibling. "Umm…you sure about this, Sats? I don't wanna be accused of coddling you or whatever, but are you in the proper condition for this sort of battle right now? I mean his skill has grown a ridiculous amount since he last sparred with you, back in the day. I'm just warning ya, he's downright vicious now! The jackass even gives _me_ trouble now!"

Satsuki looked up, smirking as she fitted a belt around her lithe waist. "I promise you that this will be the shortest match you have ever witnessed, Ryuko." Ryuko watched her sibling's eyes, sparkling with bright confidence. Satsuki grinned broadly, nodding as the young upstart reveled in the idea of being a front-row witness to the crushing of Uzu's immense cockiness, once again.

"Yeah? Right on, Sats! Knock the stuffing right outta his prancing ass! School is now in session: President Kiryuin on deck! Ha-ha!" Ryuko beamed, tongue waggling in pre-taunt mode as Satsuki strode confidently back into the main combat area.

She matched eyes with her opponent as they synchronized positions across from one another. A bow was executed by each person, then stances were readied, _shinai_ expertly gripped by both combatants. Satsuki's eyes were stone cold steady as glances met. Uzu breathed in deep, then focused all of his will towards the coming storm.

"Okay! Ready, aaaaand _begin!_ " Matoi Ryuko blurted out, and both forms were seen streaking towards each other in a rushed blur. Uzu drew a breath in preparation of calling out his first strike when something very surreal happened: a bamboo sword was observed to be hurtling directly towards his head, with no one thrusting behind it?

He moved to block the missile as it reached his strike zone, which he did effortlessly. The moment he reached out with his senses to locate the missing wielder of this sword, however…that's when embarrassment struck. Specifically, it struck his solar plexus, driving out his prepared call with a wet choke as a fist crashed up from below to incapacitate him.

Uzu eventually pieced it together. It just took a moment to put the scenario together into a properly understood narrative. Satsuki had hurled her sword up and then proceeded to deftly slide between his legs, striking straight up into his solar plexus to prematurely end the fight.

He coughed, spluttered and gasped as Ryuko's shrill laughter echoed inside the dojo's walls. She fell upon her butt, tears streaming down as she lost her mind to the sheer hilarity of the situation. Lips pursed slightly, Satsuki rose up, primly dusting her knees off as Uzu stared at her, his eyes bugging out with sheer incredulity. He finally managed to blurt out a hasty comment as Satsuki gently returned her sacrificed _shinai_ back to the equipment rack next to the far wall.

" _*huk-heff*_ What's the meaning of this? That _*cough*_ …that wasn't a sanctioned move!"

"This wasn't a sanctioned _match_ , either. It's just a friendly tussle between friends. Look, I'm sorry about this, I truly am. I cannot seek to offer you a comprehensive battle, truly worthy of your pride. Uzu, my past injuries have reduced me to being merely a competent kendo opponent. The superlative warrior you yearn to one day defeat? The 'Divine Wind of Kendo' no longer _exists_ , my friend. You must learn to accept this fact and put away your thirst for besting me. I hope you understand."

"No! But you are at _the_ top, th-the very pinnacle of human achievement…this was my ultimate goal! Now you say that 'she' no longer exists? Really? Not even as a…"

"Oi! Shaddap, you mopey monkey. You want some _real_ ass kicking? Come over here and receive the ultimate whipping, konjac junkie!"

Uzu slowly looked over to Ryuko, smiling sardonically as he did. "Matoi. Oh, so you're coming to finish me off now, hah? Don't push me, Ryuko! I'm feeling it tonight, like never before! The lines of energy, the waves! I can see them right now, coursing through you! It's giving me the advantage…are you willing to tempt fate?"

She pursed her lips together coquettishly as she sauntered up, fingertip playfully twirling her red streak. "I was _born_ to tempt fate, you cocky chucklehead. Sword me." One hand hovered in midair as Ryuko waited for the bold challenge to be met.

A _shinai_ arced overhead, flung effortlessly by the tall viridian-clad warrior. It fell precisely into her palm, slapping sound echoing in the room as Uzu's eyes flashed to meet her own. Satsuki glided over to the doorway, keen to see how this would play out. That energy…she could sense it too. It crackled and sparked between the two figures, so she backed off to see just how Ryuko and Uzu would accomplish the tempting of fickle fate on this very evening.

Ryuko flipped off her socks into the corner, feet now splayed out as she adopted a comfortable stance, _shinai_ thrust out before her. Her toes rippled as they tested the floor, seeking to set the solidity of her form. Sweats and a tank top were good enough for this job, she didn't need some high-falutin' uniform or whatever. Sanageyama's eyebrows arched and flitted, then held firm as he sniffed at her actions with slight disapproval.

Eyes rolling with a hint of exasperation, Ryuko blew strands of hair off from her forehead as she stiffly bowed to him, as was the preferred and proper conduct under his roof. He matched the vaguely respectful bow with his own, eyes never leaving the young viper's form as he did. Facing Ryuko in combat was always akin to handling dynamite, sweating oily nitroglycerin as it threatened to violently react to any sort of mishandling. The main difference between Mr. Nobel's chemical invention and the being now before him was that dynamite could be stabilized, whereas there was no way to realistically contain Ryuko's explosiveness if somehow triggered.

Satsuki nodded to both figures in turn, then called out her firm order.

"Begin!"

There was the briefest of pauses between the two warriors as they sized each other up, and it evaporated in a sudden flash. Ryuko sprang with the ferocity of a starving Bengal tiger, and Uzu subsequently struck as though his sword were transformed into pure bamboo lightning.

Swords clashed, the wood clacking and creaking with the intensity of their blows. This was no friendly match, Satsuki immediately surmised: it was a grudge match with unfathomable reservoirs of emotion and past history fueling both combatants. They were so much alike, the two of them. Fiercely stubborn, easy to rile, hard to match in a real fight. A generous dose of arrogance was also shared in their respective attitudes as well: it was no wonder that they rubbed each other wrong from the very beginning.

Lady Satsuki pondered this as she watched the duelists clash. These were the two individuals who had each provided her with the most challenging sword duels of her life: blade for blade, blow for blow…she had measured her skill against their power, more than anyone else. Between Uzu's supreme technique and unearthly insight, contrasting with Ryuko's unparalleled power and unpredictable chaos, Satsuki owed them both a debt for the wealth of learning opportunities they had both afforded her. After all, what good was her sword unless it could be honed and tested against something truly worthy?

" **Men!** " _*crack!*_ " **Dou!** " _*crack!*_ " **Kote!** " _*crack!*_

Uzu narrated each strike, as was his customary habit. His offense was superb today: Ryuko was taken aback by the swiftness and precision of his swings. She thought back months ago to the last time they sparred, and though it was close, her stamina had ultimately allowed her to win that contest. He was always remarkably quick, crafty and above all: relentless. But this time there was an abnormally frenetic push of fire present in his soul, and this additional fuel was sure to overwhelm even her superhuman reaction times if allowed to continue. Time to ditch the defense, then…remind him that he's only _human_ after all.

Roaring with a bellow of barely contained rage, she then answered by unleashing a staccato of rapid shots, purposefully drawing attention to the swordsman's center mass. She didn't ever bother to call her shots, choosing to allow her _shinai_ to announce them instead. Why he shouted out his strategic thought process during a match was beyond her. Kendo's rules (like most rules) bored her to tears, she only was after the savage thrill of it all. But wait…hmm…wouldn't _that_ be funny if she-?

Ryuko began to call out her own shots on a mischievous whim, but fuck the rules…she just randomly blurted out whatever came to mind as she piled on the pressure. _'You wanna call all the shots, Monkey Man? Try focusing your infinite senses on_ _this_ _load of nonsense, ya jackass!'_

" **Dou!** " _*crack!* 'Head shot!'_ " **Kote!** " _*crack!* 'Head shot, again! Ha!'_ " **Men!** " _*crack!*_ _*crack!* 'Wrists!'_ " **Kote!** " _*crack!*_ _*crack!*_ _*crack!* 'Torso! Head! Wrist! Suck it, Monkey Boy!'_

Oh, Ryuko liked _this_ tactic. Sanageyama's face was getting red, and it wasn't from exertion, either. " **Dou!** **Dou!** **Kote!** _*crack!*_ MENDOUDOUDOUKOTE ** _MEN_**! _*crack!*_ Ryuko sang to herself internally, barely able to refrain from giggling like a drunk hyena at these results. _'Oh, that face! How d'ya like_ _them_ _apples, sucker?!'_

Ryuko decided that this sort of activity would absolutely piss her off if utilized against herself, guaranteed. But it sure was fun employing it against the former Student Council Athletic Committee Chair, now wasn't it? He was showing signs of becoming visibly angry, but it wasn't riling him too much.

Scare tactics didn't faze him. Neither did confusing ones, either. It was all a matter of reading the energy flows, of divining the proper path from within the many senses he had at his disposal. He had been goaded by experts, and if he could survive even Harime Nui's cloying presence in battle without his regalia, he could survive damned near _anything_.

No, Uzu took it as more of an affront towards his beloved kendo: though it wasn't meant as such, it was perceived as a taunt, a mocking of his sport's revered rules. He would pay her back for this most grievous insult with forceful humiliation, via his supreme confidence and skill. The satisfaction of getting under his skin would not be claimed by this fiery upstart… _not today!_

" **Men!** " _*crack!*_

" **Dou!** " _*crack!*_

" **Kote!** " _*crack!*_

Sanageyama hammered away at Ryuko's defenses like a steam piston, trading fearsome strike for close call as he whirled, dodged, and struck time and again like a mad dervish. As dangerously unpredictable as Matoi was, he was noticing that she had some bad habits that could cost her dearly, given time and patience. If it weren't for her unreal strength and uncanny reflexes, he would already be bowing to her as part of his victory. But he was enjoying this mad rush, along with the knowing certainty that he could do no real, permanent harm and thusly could unleash his full power upon her. Sometimes he suspected that it was the only time he truly felt alive, cutting loose like this.

For Satsuki, this was all just a very, very fast and violent chess match. She sat there in a chair near the entrance, legs crossed and with hands woven together, index fingers pointed upwards to her lips as tactics were carefully measured, calculated and rated. Keen eyes darted back and forth, following every nuance of the battle as it raged before her. Colliding _shinai_ repeatedly buffeted her with the force of their shock waves, almost feeling at times as though physical slaps were being cast across her cheeks. It was a small miracle that the bamboo survived each hit, such was the strain of every blow. This was turning out to be a most interesting match, indeed.

She hadn't accompanied Ryuko for any of her impromptu bouts at Uzu-sama's dojo before today. Either from being too busy or just wanting Ryuko to have a life apart from her own, Satsuki often felt a smattering of discomfort, as though she were somehow guilty of monopolizing their personal time together. She simply didn't speak up, or make efforts to insinuate herself in her erstwhile sibling's personal plans. If she were invited, Satsuki would not be so uncouth as to decline, but more often than not she stayed at home while Ryuko tangled with Uzu, lounged with Mako or copped the occasional music lesson from Nonon.

This tangling came to a head just then, as Uzu managed to take advantage of a sloppy swing aimed at his bushy dome. Turning, he struck with lightning fierceness just as Ryuko's sword crossed where his skull was but a brief moment ago. Eyes closed and head turned away, he reached out with his hyper-keen awareness and simply sensed where the opening was, effectively threading the needle in the middle of a hurricane to land the perfect blow: the tip of his weapon landed squarely against her jaw.

 _"_ _ **Men!**_ _"_ _*crack!*_

" _Urk_ -!" The savage hit rent her lip into bloody shreds, ropes of blood gouting down upon the floor as she reeled from the surprise strike. Ryuko could have penetrated wood with the force of this crimson mistake, such was the intensity of her blood's pressure. She held up one trembling hand that slowly curled into a shaking fist as she silently condemned herself for being lazy, for not taking him more seriously.

 _'_ _Fuck me. He didn't even_ _look_ _in my direction that time! Gotta concentrate and get serious, get my head back in the game! Shitshit_ _ **shit**_ _, that really fucking smarts!'_ The young punk spat out a generous wad of blood and drool upon the floor, mouth filling with hot, salty waves from her lacerated cheek. It was mending already; she could feel the odd, tingling flush of life fibers working to knit her split flesh together again. Uzu had caught her dead to rights fair and square and she knew it was a well-deserved shot… _that_ sort of pain was not something her fibers could possibly address.

A sudden stiffness nailed Ryuko to the spot as she fought the maddeningly insane urge to go airborne and target his throat with canines bared. It would be so easy, to spool up to full fiber-blessed speed, slap that pathetic bamboo toothpick away and…and just _tear_ out this impetuous human's jugular for even daring to- _'WHAT? No! No, that's crazy. What the hell is_ _that_ _all about? I ain't gonna do_ _that_ _, s-sink my teeth into his bloody damned neck? That ain't me! This ain't right, wanting to go' after all the damned b-blood coursing in his fat, pulsating jugular…n-not cool, Matoi. Not cool at all…"_

Satsuki barely flinched. She knew well in advance that they had special rules for their all-out war bouts, and this sort of brutality was a somewhat expected occurrence. Still, it was hard to watch. As dispassionate as she needed to be in observing this match play out, the Kiryuin warrior knew just how painful it could be, to slip up and allow such a brutal strike to make such contact. As much a mental journey as it was physical, this was to be expected when your game slackened just a little bit too much.

 _'_ _Honestly, that was a perfectly executed strike, dear heart. Never trust their sword, Ryuko…trust their eyes, their body language. Yet Uzu even challenges_ _that_ _notion now! Ah yes, the essence of his zanshin has truly become peerless in every aspect of combat. This former lieutenant of mine has become most fearsome indeed…!'_

Grimacing, Ryuko squinted through harshly slitted eyes as Uzu patiently waited, guard up and stance at the ready as his barely-concealed smirk peeked out from under a bush of greenish hair. A metallic, raspy growl coiled up in the top of her throat, and it was only through sheer blast-furnace effort that she was able to forge it into a somewhat friendly sounding chuckle instead.

" _*ptui*_ Bleh, damn it all. Good one, ya sneaky lil' fucker! Nice shot, I guess."

Sanageyama grinned, bright steel-gray eyes never once leaving hers as she sought to recompose herself. "Hnhh. Maybe, Matoi. You know me, I'll take a shot at any window, regardless of size or risk. It was you who left _that_ one open, so don't you blame me for sneaking in and stealing your lunch!"

A hair-trigger temper was splashed with this small yet effective dose of volatile taunting, and it subsequently flared up into a bright bloom of napalm rage. "Fine, then eat _this_ for dessert! Rrrrraaaaagh!"

Her sword accelerated to near-supersonic speeds in a fraction of a second, and it was all he could do to block such a fearsome attack. It was a fast strike, even for one such as Ryuko, and his enhanced senses had a hard time tracking it properly. For one brief moment it felt as though he was somehow jousting with a cement truck instead, as the incredible force reverberated through his sword, then his limbs. She was well and truly _pissed_ , now!

"Oh, whoopsy daisy! Uh…' ** _Men_** ', I guess? _*snort*_ " Ryuko giggled as she then ducked from a series of whooshing tornado blows, Uzu's sword tip brushing her hair repeatedly like a fanatically determined hair stylist. Twirling around like a manic ballerina in response, she employed her usual tactic of picking a single target and only allowing her eyes to see that spot as reference, to avoid a spell of dizziness from interfering with her next whirlwind attack.

As she prepared to launch into her famous _'Acrobatic Drilling Sword Barrage Attack' (_ _アクロバティックな掘削剣弾幕攻撃_ _)_ , something somehow managed to distract her laser focus. It was nagging at the very edge of her peripheral vision, and she was helpless to resist the urge to quickly investigate it, if even for only a split second: after all, she had important ass kicking to do. The briefest of glances turned into an accidental stare, snagging upon a hidden urge deep within her jumbled psyche. A coagulating pool of her own precious blood was glittering under the dojo's harsh lights, shameful evidence of her earlier incompetence. Concepts such as time and movement ceased to mean anything to Ryuko as she felt an impossibly cold chill brush through the base of her skull.

She could see her own face reflected in the blood's glistening surface, which should have been absolutely impossible given the severity of the viewing angle. Yet there it was…a vision of her very own face, contorted into an unholy demon of sharp fangs and hollow, hungry eyes.

What frightened her was not the hideousness of the daydream gone mad, but the oddly seductive reaction blossoming within her now-pounding heart...a pounding that was resonating somewhere deep within her lower anatomy as well. It was somehow interpreted as an echoing, accusatory scream, similar to _'TAKE it! Claim their blood NOW, it is YOURS by rightful inheritance as THE superior creature!'_ It was this disturbing vision, playing out in horrifying clarity behind confused sapphire-geared eyes, which allowed Ryuko's opponent to mount a most devastating assault.

" **Tsuki!** "

This strike, aimed perfectly at Ryuko's throat, was simply meant to punish the young girl for dawdling as she hesitatingly retreated back from her attempted offense maneuvering while still trying to recover from this most unexpected distraction. He honestly did not expect her chin to still be opened up as the sword came bolting in, as she was always, _always_ way too fast to catch with such an obvious bait technique in the past. But still, the opening _was_ there, and he simply could not resist such a beautifully engraved invitation.

Regrettably for Ryuko, the nightmarish distraction was just enough to slow her reaction time to be merely human level in measurable velocity, and she paid the price in a most human manner as well. Uzu's sword came in with such ferocity that the tip fractured, then immediately exploded upon impact with the innermost point of her steel-hard clavicle. Of course, even actual steel would fracture under the right conditions, and Ryuko's collarbone was no different. The crunch of bone combined with the brittle snap of bamboo, marking the end of this match with a savage, jagged note of eerie finality.

Ryuko quickly fell to one knee, silver-red pain blossoming in her upper chest as sharp bones sawed through suddenly-lacerated tissues. The echo of the sounds still reverberated in the dojo as both Ryuko and Uzu dropped their respective swords: her mostly out of pained surprise and him out of unexpected shock. Their _shinai_ clattered to the floor with a series of clacks and thuds as they slowly turned to face one another. Uzu was filled with equal measures of elation and worry, pride and concern: she didn't cry out, she had just…stopped. All motion had simply ceased. This wasn't like her at all.

He never wanted to actually harm the antagonistic brat, _especially_ in front of the divine wind of lethal sisterhood now standing just across the way…this would be most disrespectful to all parties concerned. Unsportsmanlike conduct was something he doled out the harshest of punishments for at Honnōji Academy, and now was not the time for hypocrisy…not in front of Lady Kiryuin Satsuki (No, no…it's just _Satsuki_ now, you idiot monkey!) herself.

"Matoi! My God, are you all right? Did that strike…are you wounded? Er…I thought maybe-"

"GRRRrrrrr…shut up, ya giant wuss! You could _never_ hope to actually hurt _me_ with that little toothpick of yours! It ain't Bakuzan, that's fer sure!" Nostrils flared as she sprayed out equal amounts of animosity and fresh blood towards her opponent's general direction. The only thing that hurt more than her collarbone was the stinging realization that she just lost the match to such a sanctimonious blowhard.

"Ah? Well, o-of course. I was just checking out of sportsmanlike courtesy. So…?"

" _*sigh*_ So. Point…and match. You _…_ you _win_."

Uzu tried not to be too outwardly elated at this bitterly mumbled proclamation. He wanted to be humble and modest in his approach, since he espoused this virtue quite frequently to his own students. Still…for his parents to acknowledge his success _and_ to finally beat _the_ Matoi Ryuko herself, fair and square? In the same  month, no less? Oh, and the sword?! An actual Masamune blade! Holy hell, how the fuck did all _that_ end up happening? Swirling dizziness manifested itself, and Uzu had to withdraw himself from the ever-powerful urge to be his usual brash and cocky self about it. _'Subdue that inane craziness, stupid! Whatever you do, do_ _not_ _gloat. Lady Satsuki is watching you! Be cool, stud! Be cool…'_

Arms rigidly beside him, Uzu bowed, a deep show of sincere respect towards his volcanic rival. "Thank you for a most exhilarating match, Matoi-san. You always have been, and most likely always shall be, my most vexing opponent."

Holding her throbbing shoulder, Ryuko fired off a quick nod, her best effort at a bow at that point in time. Agony notwithstanding, she wasn't about to reward him with the satisfaction of fainting from the pain. This was taking up most of her concentration, and the sooner she was out of there, the sooner she could relax without the threat of further humiliation hanging over her soundly whipped ass.

Satsuki clapped once, a sincere testament to the match that played out before her. "Thank you for being a most gracious and kind host, Uzu-san. I must commend your immense fighting spirit. You have now grown to exceed my expectations! Truly do your keen eyes see victory, in all its many forms."

He beamed, nodding as he acknowledged the rare compliment. "Milady honors me too much. It is only by your peerless guidance that I've been able to accomplish any semblance of greatness at all! But it is most appreciated, rest assured."

Ryuko just grunted, then rolled her eyes in an animated effort to put forth an unconcerned front. "Meh. He was all right, I guess. Musta been all that spicy chili I had earlier, keepin' me down. Ya hear me, Monkey Boy? It took some bad chili to get me down, not _your_ weak-ass efforts!"

Sanageyama smiled broadly, nodding as he accepted the delicious insults into his glowing soul. "Come back any time, Matoi…that's _two_ victories I've got up on you, now, isn't it? Someday I'll make it three, too!"

She responded by crooking up her hands in a sordid motion, mimicking a monkey scratching at its own armpits. "Yeah? Well…I say 'kootchy koo' to _that_ , ya ticklish fucker! Enjoy yer shiny new sword, Konjac Lad. You earned it. Hey Sats, you ready to split? I'm all tired and hungry now."

Gingerly rubbing her tender shoulder, Ryuko winked as she eyed Satsuki's concerned gaze, trying to put her at ease while putting up a practiced front of brave casualness as well. Satsuki nodded, gently placing Ryuko's sneakers in front of her as she neared the entrance. Ryuko slipped into the footwear, jaw clenched hard as the effort triggered agonizing spasms in her swollen chest muscles. She shoved her wadded-up socks deep into one pocket, since bending over to slip them back on was _not_ going to be happening at this particular point in time (not without uber-embarrassing shouts of agony, anyways).

"Okayyyy…mmmyep. This is one ruined sports bra. Ain't getting' all this blood outta that fabric, I can tell ya that right now! Oh heyyy, can you _uhmm_ …drive us back home, if ya don't mind?" Ryuko breathed out slowly, wincing in mostly hidden agony as she slid carefully into her jacket. Satsuki nodded, knowing more than she let on in her voice's hushed agreement. The elder sibling turned and waved goodbye to Uzu, himself being too thrill-high to do much more than wave back. His vacuous grin and robotic wave told her that he wasn't quite standing on this plane of existence anymore so much as floating on it.

"I'll return this uniform to you at a later date, Uzu. I promise to not be such a stranger in the future." Satsuki caught his giddy acknowledgement as they exited the dojo. "Go ahead and keep it as a memento of our 'final battle', Satsuki-sama! Lord knows I'll never forget the lessons I learned here tonight…"

She turned her attention to Ryuko, opening the door for her as she noted the no-so-subtle wince of one who was in a fair amount of agony, and was still trying in vain to hide it. "Are you all right, Ryuko? I hear that last blow. I think I _felt_ it, too! That crack, it wasn't just the sword...I fear your collarbone is most likely fractured now, yes?"

A dangerously aggressive growl was forced into a choked cough, which then was dressed up and presented as a most unconvincing laugh of sorts. Ryuko provided her thoughts in a sheepish sing-song manner that would hopefully serve to obfuscate her true feelings on the most infuriating matter. "Oh, well ya know…it's probably busted into kindling right now! _He_ doesn't need to know that, though. I won't give him the satisfaction! Bones will most likely be all healed by tonight, no worries there. Shit, only thing he  really wounded was my pride! My pride ain't everything it used to be, I guess, huh?" Ryuko attempted to shrug, whereupon she discovered that the muscles and bones involved in such a motion were too busy being a mangled mess of contusions and bruising to allow both shoulders to equally participate. This elicited yet another annoyed grunt through her gritted teeth.

Satsuki grinned, eyes twinkling in the parking lot's low light as she unlocked the sedan. "Ah, to some, it is…to some, it was. I was quite prideful, to the point of it being a virtual sin. The weight of it was immense, I'm sorry to say. My arrogance fed upon it, and I know this now to be true. That is what feeds arrogance: an overabundance of unchecked pride. I alone wanted the supreme glory of killing Mother...so badly I could taste it! As a result, I made tactical mistakes. Errors that should not have come to pass, had I been more careful."

Her eyes slid over to cast the tiniest of conspiratorial glances over in Ryuko's direction. "Also, well…speaking of tactical errors and mistakes? Ryuko, _did_ you lose that match, fair and square? You seemed…distracted. _Too_ distracted. Please understand, I'm not in any way insinuating that you lost to him on purpose, but I sensed some rather unusual…well, it's not like you to pause like that in the heat of battle at all! It would take someone like Nui to break your iron focus in such a manner, and I just _know_ it wasn't 'something you ate', either. Surely Uzu didn't find some subtle new way to get under your skin, did he…?

Reaching for her seat belt (required by the Kiryuin Transportation Edict, now in full force since Sats was the one driving), Ryuko quietly paused. The image of her own murderous face reflected in that pool of crimson blood, spattered on the dojo floor. It was haunting her in ways she could not even begin to admit to her own self…how was she going to be able to properly inform Satsuki without alarming her? More importantly, how _would_ she without being tossed in some nuthouse?

 _'_ _Shit._ _How to play this off without raising Satsuki's suspicions? She knows something is up…I can't tell her about this yet, I just can't…!'_ The flare of her glowing cheek capillaries could be seen as merely being embarrassment, not due to the confusing waves of ultraviolent and hypersexual imagery that were even now gnawing away at her mind's flustered core. ' _Yeah, s'just embarrassment…let's go with that for the time being.'_

"Hell, I guess I was just distracted by…y'know, things. Stuff on my mind, whatever. I mean, screw the collarbone, my pride is what took the real hit. Ya know, Monkey Man's gonna be insufferable for a good long while over this colossal fuckup! Ugh, I'll be burning fer months in this big ol' shame fire. He sure ain't gonna let up about it, either, I just know it! I just sucked hard today, plain and simple." ' _Oh please, pretty please. Don't ask exactly what was distracting me, Sats…please just don't ask!'_

"You fought an amazing duel, Ryuko! Yes, your pride has been wounded, this is true. But let me assure you that _nothing_ outweighs the amount of pride I have in you."

" _*pfft*_ Yeah, except maybe yer own titanic ego!" _'Okay, now it's time to distract her, by_ _any_ _means necessary…'_

"What? I am _not_ an egotist! Surely you don't truly believe that…do you, Ryuko?"

"Oh, no worries. I guess if yer totally super awesome, there's no point in not acting like it?" _'Please let that work. Gotta take the offensive here!'_

"I'm not…'totally super awesome', Ryuko. Don't be silly! You and your ridiculous overuse of hyperbole, I swear." ' _Yes, right there. That pause. An opening! Push!'_

"Aw, the hell you ain't! You are totally like _the_ complete package! Smarts, sexiness, style…you got it all, you are _the_ hotness supreme!" ' _Yes, right there, that's it! Satsuki can_ _never_ _handle compliments like that! This'll discombobulate her fer sure!'_

"Ah, I…erhm. Ryuko, you exaggerate, surely." _There! Topple her, while she's all distracted! Go for it! Set phasers to stun!_

"Okay, I wasn't gonna say it, but…honestly? I was distracted by your legendary ass."

" _*tsk*_ You were not! Look, I know of your fighting prowess, you simply aren't distracted by such petty things! How could you even see my form from where you were, anyways? I was sitting down the entire time, remember?" _'Shit, that's right, she was. Fuckity fuck…c'mon idiot Matoi, think of something!'_

"Uh, well…so, yeah. I peeked when you grabbed the chair from the front entrance! All bending over like that…slinking around all…currrvy and stuff in those oh-so-tight slacks you got on there. Lookin' good there, babe." _'You are really reaching now, you idiot! That line of bullshit won't-'_

" _*ahem*_ Well, thank you for the…ah, compliment? I suppose I've been working more diligently on my core strength regiments as of late. Perhaps I have toned up a noticeable amount in that regard? I had absolutely no intentions of distracting you whatsoever, though. Perhaps you should just pay more attention in the future, then?" _'-work on her? Holy crap, it did. She's blushing like a stop light!'_

"Oh, I will. To the important stuff that really matters, you betcha! Mmm-hmm..." _"Ha! Yes! Operation Distract-a-Satsy: Accomplished!'_

" _*tsk*_ Oh behave, you lecherous hound."

"Always and never, nee-san. Always and never."

The piece de resistance was quietly revealed as they journeyed homeward: Ryuko started to hum and sing under her breath, a triumphant ode to her secret victory. "Doo doo doo… _'Ass of a champiooon, my frieeeeend…And I'lllll keep on fighting for your eeeend…Hmm-hmm-hmmm…Ass of a champion…Aaaaaaassss of a chammmmmpioooonnn… No tiiime for flaaaat butts, Ass of a champion…of the worllllld…!'_ Heh-heh! _*snort*_ "

"Ryuko. What on Earth are you chortling about, exactly?"

"Heh! Um...? Oh, why _nothing_ at all, my queen…"

Satsuki unleashed the power of her famous eyeroll, perfected and wielded as a testament to her complete and utter dismissal of Ryuko's recent streak of unfettered weirdness. Hmm. Perhaps Sanageyama knocked just a few too many brain cells loose from the impetuous girl, hmm? She was acting quite strangely, even for her. Still, even if Ryuko _did_ somehow throw that match (you may as well admit it now, Kiryuin, it _was_ a thought that crossed your mind…), it would have been spurred on by what Ryuko had been told earlier that day, of Uzu's heroic personal sacrifice in both their names.

Well, if _that_ were true, then she must be grappling with a rather intense bout of self-loathing right now: her ultracompetitive nature must be warring with her bid to somehow pay Uzu back in the most meaningful manner possible? Ah yes, that's probably what it is. Well, it is better than berating herself for being some sort of 'unholy monster', that much is certain. If this is what it takes to distract Ryuko's mind from such misguided fears, then so be it! Let there be solace found in such a noble defeat!

Ryuko quietly nestled herself into the leather seat, looking to all the world as though she was merely daydreaming through groggy, half-lidded eyes. She was, in all actuality, locked in a disturbing brawl with her suddenly-traitorous subconscious. The physical pain had faded into a dull roar, leaving her to wrestle with an empty, hollow desire to sate the most terrifying of urges.

Hellish, damnable imagery that would give even Hieronymus Bosch a pause for concern was flashing past her troubled eyes time and again: inner whispers were now beckoning, cajoling, prodding, _torturing_ her…trying to instill within her the maddening desire to instigate a hot orgy of violence and sweet, sweet blood. To slake this thirst for violence with someone…hell, with _anyone_ who deserved it! Why, just about any meat sack (Stop! _Stop_ calling people that!) would do.

It was all she could do to occupy her mind elsewhere, to think of non-violent and non-sexual desires…because that. Just. Wasn't. _Like._ Her! She didn't really want to do all those evil things…because she  wasn't evil. Right? Now considering her unfortunate relation to Ragyo…oh, now _she_ was evil! Nui was super evil, too. But _not_ Matoi Ryuko! No, she would never sink so low as to do all those horrid, murderous…wait, but then if _that_ were true, why were these urges even here to begin with, huh? Was that where her violent streak and her famously explosive temper originated from…? _Was_ there true evil lurking in her heart, after all? And…why now, of all times to manifest? _What the hell is happening to me?_

Ryuko purposefully bit the inside of her lip with one sharp canine, to create a harsh focal point that would hopefully serve to draw her attention away from all of this dire thinking. Unfortunately, she only found herself to be somewhat nauseated at the urgent swell of wet excitement that surged through her vagina as the tang of deliciously electric blood hit her tongue once more. That was most certainly _not_ the reaction she had been hoping for, and it had only served to deepen her worried confusion.

And all the while she found herself slowly but surely acknowledging the penultimate truth, leaden guilt inexorably spreading throughout her darkening soul: the unavoidable fact that, deep down inside, Matoi Ryuko _was_ an unholy monster. That much was certain.


	14. - Criticality -

\- Criticality –

" _Where is she?_ Did you see where she went? Damn it, she's still in here somewhere, I just know it!"

"I have yet to locate her! But when we do find her, Nonon…you _know_ what we must do."

"Oh, I know, all right. I ain't letting that delinquent live…not after what she did to poor Satsuki!"

"Then we are in agreement. Regretfully…we must terminate Matoi with extreme prejudice."

"Fuck regrets! She's has this coming…and poor Mako, she…she just-"

" _DO NOT SPEAK OF THAT!_ Please! I must focus, for the sake of dispensing rightful justice! I cannot dwell on my dear, sweet M-Mankanshoku's fate right now."

"I'm sorry, Ira. I know what she means…er, _meant_ to you. We'll find that fucking abomination, I swear. Vengeance won't wait! Not after _this_."

"Agreed. We shall take her out quickly, and without hesitation or remorse. Else she will lay waste to us all, given the opportunity. Did Tsumugu have any other ideas as to why this happened?"

"I wasn't able to get that far with him, just that the life fibers apparently took total control and that she's a crazy fucking bitch who _just killed Satsuki-sama_! I'll slice her stupid fucking _head_ off for that! Goddammit, I _knew_ trusting that transfer student was a mistake!"

"Mmm. It would appear so. Watch your rear! All right, this room is now clear. Let's move to the next one, carefully. Prepare yourself, Nonon-sama!"

"Oh, I'm ready, big guy. I'm _so_ fucking ready, don't you worry."

He sneered balefully, squeezing a few errant tears out of his vision as he passed the frame of the mansion's cavernous doorway. Clutching Tsumugu's needle gun as he panned it around the main hall, he swallowed painfully as he prepared to hunt down and execute the entity who so ruthlessly slaughtered the love of his life. Exactly how this happened, Ira wasn't sure. It all went down so quickly: the frantic call to arms, the desperate search for a confused, hurt young girl, and then…the horror.

Ira checked for the tenth time that the safety was off and that the gun was chambered and ready to fire. He peered down the massive hallway, down to the next door in sequence. Seeing the door move ever so slightly, Ira grimaced as he moved to inform Nonon of his findings, that Ryuko wasn't far away...and the opportunity to land the killing blow was imminent.

Ira suddenly observed the hallway rushing past his eyes in an incomprehensible blur, and it took a few moments for his awareness to catch up with the confusing reality of his situation. Much to his surprise, he found himself to be already in the next room, held against the ceiling as astonishingly strong arms hoisted him up and pinned his own arms deftly to his sides. The needle gun clattered across the floor, skidding to a stop against the far wall, unfired. A steel limb wrapped around Ira's sizeable chest as he tried to cry out, to warn his diminutive comrade of the immediate danger posed by the monstrous Matoi creature, now violently upon him. The limb contracted, forcing his lungs to painfully surrender any built-up shouts against their will.

She quickly grabbed Ira's yellow mane, snapping his skull back as effortlessly as a drunkard would pop open a beer can…and in her own horrid way she was just as desperate for a drink. He found that any further attempts at a warning were smothered quite effectively by Ryuko's hasplike fingers, crushing his spasming larynx in an effort to make this impending snack time a quiet, uninterrupted affair.

Terrible pain ripped through Ira's thick neck, galvanizing the gargantuan man's efforts to peel the monster masquerading as Matoi Ryuko away from his shoulder…efforts that were now in vain as she greedily sucked his consciousness away in huge, determined draughts.

If she were able to focus in such a manner, Ryuko might have noticed the scores of maroon needle-thin fibers protruding grotesquely from her iron fists, her writhing neck and contorted face as she sought to consume every drop of glorious blood from the man's twitching, jerking meat mass. They greedily darted out, piercing his skin in an urgent effort to absorb the sweet, coppery essence from every point of contact they could possibly make.

Alas, Ryuko was not in the most perceptive state at that moment: she was blood-blind, gorging herself at his gushing throat wound like a parched hummingbird at a bright red feeder…if that feeder were a quivering human corpse, that is. She held him upside-down as she sought to completely drain the hot sack of struggling meat currently caught in between her viselike arms.

A crackling gurgle transformed into a thin, reedy whistle as he was slowly, painfully exsanguinated, his life force stolen away by the hybrid murderess. Glowing red rolled back from under her lids, now twitching with drunken pleasure. She sniffed at the air cautiously, then callously tossed aside Gamagōri's crushed form as her cruelly contorted nose twitched and snorted.

A tongue slowly coursed over impossibly-sharp canines, their atom-thin fiber edges slicing it as quickly as others could immediately heal it. A single breath escaped her gleaming, crimson-slicked lips.

 _"More."_

* * *

Nonon, finding herself suddenly alone in the dark mansion's vast hallways, felt her teeth chittering nervously against themselves. She tightly gripped Bakuzan Gako in her white-knuckled fists, trying to use the edge of her ripped dress to wipe off the shiny, sticky globs of maroon gore that still clung to the gleaming tantō's pommel.

" _Nani sore?_ Ira..? Dammit, where _are_ you, you hulking toad? You were just here a second ago! Fuck! Where did you-no, _no,_ **_no_** …this isn't happening. It is not! I am _not_ wiping my best friend's blood off of her very own sword. Ryuko is _not_ some blood-crazed demon! I am n-not scared right now…I am _not."_

" _Wrong on all counts, Pinky!_ " Ryuko snarled as she suddenly materialized over Nonon's shoulder, causing the tiny musician to instinctively stab the tantō out to skewer the leering, blood-slicked face. Nonon was an extraordinarily fast opponent, and her speed was of legend to both comrade and foe alike.

It made no difference, however. Her bubblegum head was jerked back, a surprised gasp choked off by the sheer quickness of it all. That gasp never had a chance of being released, as Ryuko's savage jaws slammed into the young woman's neck with terrifying force. Nonon's taut flesh, neck skin pulled drum-tight from the force of Ryuko's overpowering exertion, emitted a sickening - _crack-_ sound as multiple, fiber-augmented razor teeth made their serrated contact, slicing into muscles and veins with sickening efficiency. Her pink eyes involuntarily rolled back white, flickering with waves of intense agony as the beast had its murderous way with her.

The gleaming tantō slipped from her slackening grasp, the pommel now stained dark with the blood of two. Ryuko snorted and drooled as she crushed her hapless victim's form within greedy jaws, the fiber monster drinking its fill of sweet, electric liquid god-energy.

Nonon tried to yell out _'Why, you traitorous bitch? Why did you slaughter her? She_ _loved_ _you!',_ but the only sounds that emanated from her weakening throat were a pitiful "-huk-huk-uk-huk- _uk-_ _ **hukkk**_ _-_ _ **uk**_ _-_ _ **huk**_ _hhhh-krrcchhh-*_ " as her lungs slowly collapsed from the intense pressure. Ryuko felt her victim die just then, the last gasp of hateful commentary taking with it the final remnants of Lady Jakuzure Nonon's short life.

She couldn't have cared less. She got what she wanted…no, _needed_. The _blood_. The energy of life itself! She wasn't about to let her immortal battery run low, now was she? No, not with all those convenient recharge stations just wandering about, out there in the world. Ryuko would never run out of energy, there was simply too much of it out there! All she had to do was go out and pluck a few ripe ones off the vine to sate her maddening desires. The very thought sent her into a state of quivering convulsions, fresh blood being converted into immense amounts of energy by the life fibers that called her flesh home.

The creature known as Matoi Ryuko writhed upon the mansion floor, blood caking her tattered clothes, hair plastered to gory, wet cheeks as she rutted in orgasmic, heated bliss. It was too much! The power, the unlimited energy! It burned, seethed, and blasted into the base of her skull as she rode the crest of a wet, maroon wave of atomic fire. Frenzied fingers savagely buried themselves into her crotch as she bucked and moaned, back arching painfully as endless orgasms tore through her body like shining, white-hot acid.

 _It's too much!_ _Too fucking much! Too—_

* * *

Satsuki woke abruptly, the bed still rocking slightly from Ryuko's sudden departure. Now she finally had an inkling as to why her dream had been consisting of piloting a seafaring vessel, rocked out of nowhere by a sudden squall. It took a substantial amount of force to make notable waves on such a large, cushioned gel-reinforced mattress...her sibling must have been either locked in mortal combat with a silent werewolf, or had managed to sign up for a rigorous sleep calisthenics class.

The echo of a stifled sob brought the actual truth to the surface, out there in the darkened hallway. Oh no…not another bad dream? It _must_ be. Ryuko didn't cry out like that when she made her way to the toilet, that time when her ill-fated 'ultimate pizza challenge' victory over Sanageyama had come back to haunt her in the worst possible way. No, that was just pathetic whining…that was a ' _please pity and comfort poor helpless little ol' me, regardless of my extraordinarily poor culinary decisions?_ ' type of whine. Satsuki was quite adept at identifying that special kind of utterance, not to mention the fact that she had built up a near-bulletproof immunity to it, too.

This, however, was a harsh sob. The kind of choke that was painfully held back until Ryuko was out of earshot, to allow for her to suffer in secretive silence. However, the poor girl had underestimated Satsuki's razor-keen hearing once again…so the hunt was on.

The silent huntress eventually made her way towards the downstairs garage; door still wobbling slightly from the force of Ryuko's rushed passing. Her tracking skills were not being put to the test on this chilled evening, as it had proved to be a blatantly obvious trail of clues to follow: a still-decompressing footprint in carpet here, a recently-triggered nightlight there. Satsuki finally found her thoroughly frightened quarry's location, easily pinpointed by the sniffling sound that was now echoing in the dark, cavernous garage.

Huddling in a fearful ball, Ryuko shivered uncontrollably in the far corner; not from the cold, but rather from being rattled to her very bones by the terrible dream. Her whispered mumbling made its way to Satsuki's ears as she moved in quietly. "I'm a m-monster, just waiting to happen. S-so real. It felt so real! I could actually taste...wait, no, I can _still_ taste the bl- uh, oh shhiiit. I bit my stupid fucking lip, damn…that really _is_ blood. I...oh, hell...I even drooled some onto my pajama top? Fuck me, why is this-"

"Ryuko! What just happened? What is going on? Was it another bad dream?"

The young woman stiffened, startled hands slapping against cold concrete to steady her quivering form. The urge to bolt was overwhelming, but there wasn't really anywhere to go from here…not unless she wanted to cause epic amounts of either property damage or bodily injury in the process. Reluctant surrender seemed to be the wisest option at this point.

" _*gasp*_ Oh… _shit._ Sats? Sorry if I woke ya. Hey…help me out here, will ya? Maybe you can rig up, um-m-maybe...can ya fit a shock collar on me or somethin'? Yeah, get Inumuta to slap something together. Ya know, just in case I...totally _lose_ it someday? Tell him to make it super powerful, though! Yup, enough to drop a f-fuckin' rhino or somethin'! Can't be too careful, these days...not with a hybrid alien predator like _me_ on the loose…"

"That is absolute nonsense! You aren't some base animal, and you aren't going to 'lose' anything! You are surely better than that!"

"I don't know, I ain't so sure about that anymore. I mean...um, the problem here is that I...well, uh, ya see-"

"I know, Ryuko...it was merely a nightmare. I am well acquainted with the phenomenon; certainly I know this feeling myself! It's all right now, you are quite safe! Come, I'll make you some hot cocoa while we chat. That always serves to make you feel better."

"You ain't hearin' me, Satsuki. It wasn't really a 'nightmare', per se...I guess it was more like a...um…aw heck, do girls even get those at all? I wish I paid more attention during health class..."

"What do you mean, 'get those'? I don't follow."

"Uh... _*cough*_ Well, I mean a-a wet dream? That thrashing around wasn't from f-fear, believe me. I was...uh...oh God, kinda o-orgasming in my sleep, I guess? I've never had that _happen_ before, and I'm-Satsuki, I am so very sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up or freak you out and I'm just so fucked up about all of this! Please, I just wanna know...what the hell is _wrong_ with me?"

Ryuko held out one trembling hand, fingers still shiny-slick from her frenzied sleep masturbation. She was far from feeling the warm afterglow, however. Her lower lip quivered and puckered from panic-sucking breaths, hyperventilated out into the garage's cold air as she struggled in vain to comprehend what just happened. Tendrils of steam rose from pleading lips as cold blue pupils dilated to swollen, fearful pits.

"Ryuko, exactly what transpired in your dream? If it was somehow erotic in nature and it _wasn't_ a nightmare, it couldn't possibly have been that bad if you were actually masturbating in your... _wait_. Was-oh, please…Gods above, _no!_ Ryuko-chan…was _she_ somehow involved?"

"Uh…? Oh no, not Ragyo this time, I swear! I know, big surprise, right? No...the real villain here was...it was _me_. I was betraying and then killing all my friends, Satsuki...and I was _liking it_. F-first I killed you and poor Mako, and then I went and murdered Ira and Nonon, and I just...I was some fucked up blood beast vampire thingy, okay? Like, I needed the blood for energy or something like that? Hell, it wasn't like the movies at all; just a quick bite here and then 'whoops, all done'! No, this was h- _horrible_ , there was blood everywhere and I was tearing out throats and crushing...oh please, no...it was a goddamned slaughterhouse. All my fault! All of it..."

Satsuki reached out and gently grasped one shaking hand, firmly squeezing waves of loving current into it by sheer force of will. Ryuko's eyes eventually peeked out from through her sleep-deformed mop, head hung pendulously low with guilt and intense sadness. Satsuki Kiryuin's voice was soft yet determined, much like an adamantine hand encased within the supplest of velvet gloves.

"Dearest heart, it was just an awful dream and nothing more. No matter the details, they simply were not real in the slightest. You haven't the capacity for such terrible things, your heart is made of love! Ryuko, don't you see that?"

Weary blinking led to a sad, protracted stare. Ryuko shrugged weakly, a ponderous cloud of doom casting a shadow upon Satsuki's bright cheer. "My heart is mostly made of life fibers, Satsuki. I've seen it. So by that metric, I guess love ain't exactly the determining factor here, now is it?"

Satsuki reached out and embraced the shivering form before her, cradling Ryuko's head against her silken-clad breasts. " _Stop._ Just stop that, here and now. You _know_ what I speak of, as well as the truth inherent within it. I don't care what anyone else has ever thought of you or your actions. Your soul is comprised of beauty and radiant cheer, and I know this to be the truth! I've known true evil, Ryuko-chan. I've lived it, dealt with it, and fought it for most of my life. I've found that you can learn a lot from fighting someone, and I don't believe for one second that there was ever _truly_ evil intent in a single swing of yours. Even when you were forcefully bonded to Junketsu, you were fighting it, deep inside. If there were any actual evil to be found within you, that damnable thing would still be inextricably woven within your very flesh _and_ soul, even now! Even when all else is laid bare for all to see, this is the essence of _who you really are_. You never stop fighting, and you never stop being made of love. Believe it, Ryuko...for I _do_!"

The tiniest of nods caused Ryuko's ruddy streak to bounce in hesitant agreement. Haltingly she stood, clinging desperately to Satsuki as her indispensable pillar of strength and salvation. "I hope you're right, Satsuki. I really do. I mean, you're usually right, and I can kinda see your point…I just wish I could feel as confidently as you do about it? I…I just love you so much, and the very thought of you being hurt by something I did just chills me to the bone! It frightens me!"

Satsuki laughed quietly, a humorous smirk splitting across her soft features. "You couldn't take me anyways, little one."

Ryuko snorted in spite of her dark mood. "You arrogant bitch. I ain't talkin' 'bout playing friggin' Tetris here! You _know_ I could now easily kill just about everyone I've ever known if I _really_ took the kid gloves off, even _your_ smarty-pants ass! I just want there to be some kind of plan, just in case I do somehow go all weird on you, all right? I don't think that's a dumb idea, regardless of your precious fawning over me. I'm still a damned hybrid, after all…the only one left. I'm part _alien_ , Sats. That's a prime example of the 'unknowable variable' you always like to talk about, ain't it? I'm just trouble waiting to happen! Always have been, I guess…"

Satsuki smiled warmly, then leaned over to make purposeful eye contact with the worried girl before her. "Come now, dear heart. Look here, up at me. You know Kiryuin Satsuki _always_ has a plan, yes? We'll think of something, a way to put you at ease, okay? Perhaps it's time to pay Mikisugi a visit, since you haven't had a proper checkup in a little while. He can give you a clean bill of health as always, and perhaps that will serve to settle your fears, all right? Is that a deal?"

Ryuko's head bobbed in a reserved yet enthusiastic response. "Yeah, okay. I know I'm probably just being silly, but I just can't get the idea out of my head. I guess if he declares everything is still under control, I could maybe relax a bit? Ugh, I can't believe I'm actually looking forward to gettin' all poked and prodded by _that_ filthy perv."

Satsuki raised her eyes towards the ceiling in bemused resignation, shrugging as she quantified the pros and cons of putting up with the ever-so-slightly obnoxious presence of 'Doctor Disco Tits' himself. "Well dear, he _is_ the preeminent expert on life fibers, since Father regrettably passed on. If anyone can detect any latent life fiber issues, it's him. Now, let's go check on our hot cocoa reserves in the kitchen, hmm? We cannot take the risk of running low on that precious resource!"

Ryuko's cobalt eyes lit up at this most delectable remark. "Ooh, I'm gonna head up that expedition! I volunteer for doing all the heavy lifting!" Satsuki bowed, whimsically gesturing towards the door as Ryuko hurried to smooth out her rumpled pajama bottoms. Now attempting to rub the wrinkles out of her disheveled top, she started to nibble her lower lip as a long sigh slipped out, causing Satsuki to reach out and squeeze one shoulder in loving concern as the young girl slipped by.

"Um...sorry I'm such a handful, Sats. Sometimes I wish you had a normal sister, so you wouldn't always hafta put up with my loony crap."

"Normal? Why, what on Earth would I do with a 'normal' person? How mind-numbingly boring! What would we even talk about, since we'd have absolutely nothing in common? Besides, you aren't abnormal. I simply consider you to be...unique! I wouldn't change a thing about you, dear heart."

"I'm 'unique', eh? Huh...oh yeah! Heh-heh! That reminds me. Sometimes jokes make me feel better when I'm nervous, ya know? So…heyyyy, Satsy, how do you catch a unique rabbit?"

" _*sigh*_ You and your jokes...oh, I don't know."

" _Unique_ up on it!"

"Ugh! That is just terrible."

"Oh yeah? Fine…so how do you catch a tame rabbit?"

"I shudder to think. Go ahead, tell me. How does one do that..."

"The _tame_ way!"

"Oh dear, that sounds bad enough to be a Mako joke! I take my previous statement back, Ryuko. I'd change your sense of humor to be somewhat _functional._ "

" _-hmph!-_ She always laughs at _my_ jokes. Hey, at least I can tell jokes! That's the one arena in which you couldn't possibly hope to beat me."

"I can too! Humor is sometimes a bit...challenging, I will admit. But I _can_ do it! Kiryuin Satsuki can conquer _any_ task she sets her mind to accomplishing!"

"Okay, then prove me wrong."

"Er...what, now?"

"Yep. Hit me with yer best joke."

"Ah, very well...hmm. Why is insomnia against the law?"

"I dunno. Why?"

"Well, because it's resisting a _rest_."

"…that's it? _That's_ yer best joke?"

"Okay, how about this: you know why it's so hard to explain puns to kleptomaniacs…? They always take things _literally!_ "

"Oh, man. You need help, onee-san."

"Very well. You asked for it, Ryuko! So I ask you…what do the French call a bad Thursday? A ' _Tra-Jeudi'!_ "

"What was that, a _French_ joke? What the hell…I didn't even _take_ French in school! Did Ragyo teach you that one or what? Seriously…talk about a buzz kill."

"Oh, come on! It wasn't that bad. It's quite clever, if you think about it! Actually, wait I…just realized that I only tell those jokes to my multilingual business associates. Sorry about that, dear. I assure you, they are quite hilarious."

"No, this is hilarious: didja hear about the latest banking crisis? Yeah, so Origami Bank folded, Sumo Bank went belly up, and Bonsai Bank is planning to cut back some of its branches!"

"Those…are barely even jokes, Ryuko. Mine were far cleverer than _that._ "

"Uh-huh. I don't know what's funnier: the fact that you think you're funny, or the fact that you actually try to tell jokes to other people! It's all in the delivery, Satsy. Maybe I'll teach you that someday. Okay, I'm bored with this now. Time for hot cocoa…let's go get some sugar, baby!"

"Wait! I demand one more chance!"

" _*sigh*_ Fine…go ahead."

"A pig and a horse once had a race. Who won?"

" _-tch-_ …who?"

"Ton-katsu dakara!"

"…okayyyy, now that was kinda funny, I guess. A pig joke! *snort* What a surprise, coming from you of all people!"

"See, Ryuko? I always triumph in the end."

"Yeah, right! Try this one: what popular drink is made from carrots, cabbages, and broccoli? Give up? It's _Mitsuya Cider!"_

"Oh, so you want to keep dueling with clever puns now? Here then…what time was it when Godzilla devoured the British Prime Minister? _Eight P.M.!_ "

"Ah-heh-heh…uh, wait…nope, I missed it."

"The word 'eight' sounds like 'ate' in English. 'P.M.' is the standard abbreviation for both the Prime Minister and-"

"Oi, I get it now! Just took a minute to remember my English lessons. Okay, okay…not bad, sis! Just think! Someday, maaaany decades from now, you'll be an actual comedian!"

"Ah, yes. Whereas you will forever be a _joke_."

"Wow. You ruthless _bitch_ …see, now that was funny! Hee-hee! Zing! Okay, now let's put that kettle on. I'm all fired up now, and I need some serious hot cocoa fuel, like right away!"

"Oh, just try to simmer _down_ , hot stuff."

"Okayyy, you can totally stop that now? I'll admit that you're _occasionally_ funny. Don't blow it. Pun time is over! Please lower your wit, Satsy."

"No need to get all hot under the collar, Ryuko."

"Uh…Satsuki…?"

"Looks like you've met your _match_ , dear! You simply can't hold a _candle_ to me."

"Omi _god_. Stop, I surrenderrrrrrr…"

"Ha! I'm on fire, but _you're_ the one who's cooking now! Don't worry about the pain, Ryuko; your nerves will be the first to go!"

"Holy _shit_. That went from being clever straight to freakin' morbid, nee-san."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry! It's so hard to tell when it's going to be humorous, as opposed to…well…ah, please accept my apology for disturbing you. It was unintended."

"Mmmyep. It's okay. Yer still super cute! I'll let you off the hook…this time. _–sssip-_ Mmm, come to Mama, liquid chocolate happiness… _ohgodsogood._ "

"Very well. I shall consider it a draw, then."

"It wasn't even a…oi, you know what? Never mind! Here, just drink yer damned tea, ya flippin' weirdo!"

"Ah. Yes, dear. It was good for me, too."

" _*sigh*_ "

* * *

-Five years later-

"You finally did it? Awesome! I'm proud of you! Ya know, between the two of us, I'd never guess that _you_ would have a tattoo before me!"

Satsuki shrugged, smile carving proudly across her beaming face. "It felt right. It was the right time to prove ultimate ownership of my body, and my destiny. It would have been out of the question before, given my past life's circumstances...but things have changed, haven't they? I am my own person now, beholden to no one."

"That is so cool of you. Where did ya decide to get it? You go with yer back, like I suggested?"

Satsuki reached up and loosened her blouse, letting it fall from her shoulders as she twirled around to wordlessly show off her new body statement. Ryuko's eyes wandered around until they found the ornate new ink, adorning Satsuki's lower back. A gorgeously rendered dragon rested upon her lower spine, which prompted Ryuko's eyes to widen in humorous surprise.

"Holy crap. You went with a _tramp stamp?_ "

Nose recoiling in confused disgust, Sats shot a barbed glance at her mouth-stuck-wide-open sibling. "A _what_? It's a  dragon, you idiot! I know it's rather fancy, but surely you can tell it's not some damned hobo! How the hell are you seeing a-what's so funny?"

Mouth-now-welded-shut Ryuko giggled at the very idea. _'Omigod, she actually_ _doesn't_ _know…'_ Satsuki stood there, arms akimbo as she tapped one foot to impatient, rapid beats. A hasty explanation was hinted to be necessary in order to avoid the threat of a most unfortunate confrontation.

" _*ahem*_ Ah, well…? So you see Satsuki, when a lady gets a tattoo in _that_ particular area, she is generally considered to be signaling her…uh…let's go with ' _greatly lowered resistance to the idea of random sexual liaisons_ ' to society in general? It's kinda like an advertising billboard fer slutty chicks. It's a 'tramp stamp'? Get it now?"

Satsuki blushed furiously, one hand to her chin as she tried to rack her memory for knowledge of such a phenomenon. "But I'm not a-I've _never_ heard of such a thing! Are you playing another trick on me? Because if so, I'm not amused!" Ryuko moved in and hugged the indignantly flustered woman, pecking Captain Satsuki Oblivious on one ruddy cheek as she hummed to herself in thoroughly amused bliss.

"No, no tricks this time. Besides, to hell with what anyone else thinks, right? I think it's gorgeous. The blue and red look so slick together! Oh, and the detail is amazing, too! Man, I can't believe someone can draw fine details like that on skin…maybe I should get a tattoo, after all? Hmm. Maybe a righteous meteor would totally rock?! Aw, I think I'm starting to get jealoussss…" Ryuko stared in awe at the new artwork adorning the top of Satsuki's shapely derriere, and eventually the elder sister coughed nervously and handed Ryuko a small tube.

"Here. I'll need your help with applying this aftercare lotion. I need to take good care of my damned tra-oh hell, I'm so embarrassed! I only thought to move the design down there so I could get away with wearing low-cut dresses during business dinners. I thought I was being so efficient and…clever…? Now people will surely mistake me for a common _whore!_ "

Ryuko smirked, patting Satsuki on her shoulders as the recently tattooed lady's cheeks glowed from pure shamefire. "Oh, come on, nee-san. You know how many times I thought I had a good idea, only for it to be the worst thing ever? You need to maybe screw up like this about a thousand times more before you can even hope to catch up to me!"

She hoisted Satsuki's sad face up, squeezing playfully as she moved nose-to-nose with her. "It is beautiful. _You_ are beautiful. No one's even gonna see it anyways, down so low. It's not like you wear revealing clothing, unless you go to the beach or whatever…and I guarantee that you will be the center of sheer envy to anyone who sees you! How does that line go…? _'You will show neither shame nor hesitation, even if you wear a tramp stamp for all the world to see! Your actions are utterly pure!'_ Right? Come on, say it." Ryuko squeezed Satsuki's lips together, warming them up for the speech that was surely to follow.

Satsuki allowed a small grin to appear through her squished cheeks. "You're right, Ryuko. I cannot allow shame or hesitation to dictate my actions. I must be better than that. I like my new tattoo! It signifies the establishment of final control over my body, and my own destiny! I am in charge of it, no one else! To _hell_ with society's silly opinions!"

"Yeah! That's right, ya total tramp! Tell it like it is!"

" _*gasp*_ You...complete bitch!"

"Slut."

" _Shameless hussy!_ "

" _Queen Whore of Tramp Village!_ "

"…"

"…"

"Ah, Ryuko? Do you... _*ahem*_ want to go upstairs and-"

"What, fool around? Oh holy hell, _yes._ I am _so_ turned on right now."

"Oh good, it's not just me. Something about this experience has just inexplicably stoked my fire!"

"Well, you get the top this time. Don't wanna hurt your poor li'l butt dragon!"

"Oh, you'll 'hurt the dragon', all right. But only here, here and especially _-hnff-_ h-here!"

"Mmm, well, if you insist…"

"Mmm. I do, Ryuko. _I do._ "

* * *

-Present day-

Syringes were used. Tears were shed. Tests were run. Patients were brazenly hit upon. Doctors were subsequently threatened. Results were promised…but not right away. Comparisons were to be made, analysis was to be performed. The immediate diagnosis, as per Prof. Kiryuin: subject Matoi was noted to be potentially allergic to horny physicians with glowing nipples. Symptom: they made her spontaneously break out…in fists. The proposed treatment: immediate relocation, initiated by the promise of ice cream, followed by intense antique shopping therapy with her beloved onee-san.

Said therapy was determined to be successful after an extended session. Administered several towns over from home, the two girls ate and shopped their way into a state of shared equilibrium. Walking all the back to the parking garage that contained the Mercedes was determined to be 'utterly lame' by the exceedingly lazy Dr. Matoi. The somewhat annoyed Prof. Kiryuin postulated that such an extended journey would be beneficial to balance out their recent (and substantial) caloric intake. Her argument was overruled by the liberal use of what is known in certain academic circles as ' _the saddest puppy dog eyes_ _ever_ '. Dr. Matoi enthusiastically hinted as to possessing intimate knowledge of the immediate area, since she had once inhabited it as the infamous 'Kanto Drifter', and her infallible directional senses could be trusted to know of a nearby shortcut, one that would take an entire half hour off their travel time back to the car.

Prof. Kiryuin was noted to be most skeptical, yet she ascertained that giving in to her young colleague could indeed boost the adorable girl's mood, noting that she was still suffering from some lingering aftereffects caused by recent exposure to 'Shiny Nipple Syndrome'. Prof. Kiryuin made a mental note to someday administer upon him a thorough 'D.T.R./R.I.P.' ( _Dotōnbori Robo/Rectal Insertion Procedure_ ), in order to prevent further unwelcome horniness from being inflicted upon her dear sibling by said glowing-nipple-wielding researcher.

The shortcut, a long, meandering alleyway between two shopping centers, was bravely entered by the intrepid Matoi, doubting Kiryuin in tow. It was only halfway into the trip through the alley before an infestation of urban parasites was subsequently detected, and the Kiryuin woman silently cursed their luck as monetary offerings were predictably demanded, for 'protection' in lieu of physical trauma of a most violent nature. This was in addition to the following description of certain unsavory activities; lurid threats that were determined to be disgustingly sexual in nature.

The leader of the group cheerfully sang out his demands as his scattered minions gathered nearby, their assorted pipes, chains and knives at the ready. "Now listen up, my most beautiful and sexy guests! There's a toll for using our nice, convenient alley as a shortcut. Think of it as a travel tax of sorts? I assure you, the money goes towards a good cause! It's for a local downtown beautification project!"

Another punk snorted, grunting out "Yeah, the booze makes the local chicks look hot! Haw! But we don't need no booze fer _you_ girls! Lookin' good enough ta eat, you two are! Ohhh yeahhh…"

Were she still her younger self, the air would now be filled with the righteous shouts of an incensed Honnōji warlord, beholden to _no one,_ least of all this gutter trash who dared to even speak to her! However, that was deemed to be just a bit too arrogant now, in Satsuki's esteemed opinion. Perhaps there was another, wiser way? She chose to employ a slightly more subtle tactic to convey her own ideas regarding the current situation.

She rummaged around in her spacious purse, then withdrew a substantial wad of money. The gang's collective eyes were glued to it as Satsuki waved the cash in the air, a savory chunk of meat to these modern predators. "You'll be wanting this, then."

"Heh, of course! Who wouldn't want to pay the fees owed for the sake of safe trav-"

"No, you dimwitted pig…you misunderstand. You see, this is not for safe passage. This is for your impending _hospital stay._ "

Satsuki heard a sardonic chuckle just behind her, and a cracking noise filled the air as Ryuko flexed her knuckles. "That's the spirit, Sis. Always thinkin' 'bout the public's welfare, yeah? Mighty generous and thoughtful of ya. Me, though? I'd be more worried that none o' these assclowns could afford a proper _burial_."

The gang leader grimaced, angry that his latest victims hadn't just rolled over and tearfully surrendered their valuables _or_ their hot bodies. These two obviously weren't budging, and he needed to wrap this up quickly in order to save face in front of his crew. He was about to answer the tall girl's proposition with a gleaming switchblade rebuttal when it happened.

Something exploded to his left, a bloom of brick dust and stone chips blowing out from the wall behind him. Blinking reflexively, his head darted over to see exactly what the hell just happened. An amazingly loud bang assaulted him from the right just then, a dumpster suddenly being caved in from the tremendous force of something striking it...but what? ' _What the hell is this?_ ' he thought as the gaping dent magically appeared in the side of the trash container.

Looking up, he managed to barely catch a glimpse of blurred movement from the shorter woman, who had just hurled another object in his general direction. The dumpster mysteriously gained another magic crater, the booming noise shocking the group of criminals as they started to realize that it was merely...a brick? Plain, ordinary bricks were being hurled at a most fearsome velocity by the shorter girl. How the hell was she managing to pull off _that_ feat?

Ryuko gripped another brick in her hand, bluish veins bulging as rock-hard tendons stood out in white relief from the immense pressure. The brick suddenly cracked in two, and she made a clear and distinct show of repeatedly tossing the two halves in the air with both hands, jovially measuring up her next ballistic strike as she grinned at her various targets.

"Scumbag targets acquired! Lemme at 'em! No one will miss these bozos."

"Now, now. Remember what I said about murdering people, even in self-defense? The dry cleaning bills are usually more than the bail would be…not to mention our lawyer's retainer."

"Heh! Yeah, but it's _so_ therapeutic!"

"Hmm, yes. Stress relief _is_ an important consideration, isn't it?"

"Yeah! So lemme just pick off a few of 'em, and we'll see how the rest'll start cowering and blubbering for-"

"HEY! You can't just come here to our turf and disrespect us! Gimme that fucking money, or else!"

The leader glared at them, shining knife at the ready. He wasn't concerned with some flashy parlor tricks. So the bitch had a wicked curve ball...so what? He had a nasty reputation to uphold, and they were making him look weak in front of his men. Time for a painful and bloody lesson!

One of the other gang members slowly slid over to insinuate himself into his boss's peripheral vision, surreptitiously trying to get his attention without becoming the victim of a brick-and-mortar shelling. The skinny youth whispered an urgent plea just as his leader was preparing for a lethal strike. " _*psst!*_ Yo, uh, Boss? Hold up? Yeah, so…I think I just remembered something like _really_ important just now…? You might wanna-"

His bald head twisted to one side, the leader snarled at his subordinate in anger. "Shut the fuck _up_ , Rokko! I'm negotiatin' the terms of a cash money deal here!" The underling then pointed a knobby finger at Ryuko, trembling slightly as he did. He whispered a panicked missive as the surly boss felt his boiling blood pressure rise by the second.

"Yeah, but…I'm pretty sure I _know_ that crazy bitch! Remember when I told you I once ran with the Beer Boys Syndicate Gang, wayyy back in the day, out west? Well, I'm pretty sure _she's_ the one who brought 'em all down, like as in singlehandedly! I'm tellin' ya, I remember that red stripe and those freaky eyes! I ain't never gonna forget those weirdo eyes, not after what I saw that day...that's the 'Kanto Drifter'! I'm  sure of it, Boss!"

The leader blanched. His knife lowered precipitously as the wind went right out of his cocky sails. "Bull _shit_! _That_ little girl is the one who-?"

"Yeah, took us all out in one friggin' afternoon! I'm tellin' ya man, I remember that fist, clear as day! Dude, she took a goddamned _sledgehammer_ to the back of her _head_ , turned around and...and then she used it to straight up break the ass of the guy who did it! And I mean that literally! She broke. His. _Ass._ Dude, I saw it with my own two eyes!"

"Yeah? And you were drunk all the time, you worthless fuck! Prolly just them D.T.s, causin' you to see freaky shit again! This can't be her! C'mon, look at 'er, she's just some cute lil' slut who'll be sucking my-"

The punk nodded emphatically, green Mohawk dipping wildly as he did so. "Yeah, okay, right…sure! Well, we made the same mistake of underestimatin' her that day too, man! Look, I ain't dictatin' on how to run the gang or anythin', but if ya want us to bring some cigs or beer in the hospital, like I did with my old boss? Just lemme know ahead of time, yeah? Just try to remember that my old boss _still_ ain't been able to walk right after that day...sledgehammer was buried in his  ass, man. _In his_ _ass._ "

He then skittered away, spikes and chains jangling as he quickly hustled away from the unfolding madness. Looking down at the brick chunks, then over at the mauled dumpster, the alley boss slowly felt the instinctive tentacles of self-preservation smothering his volcanic anger. He tensed his jaw, swallowed nervously, and then dramatically explained his newest choices in future gang management policy out for all to hear.

"Fine! Fine…I get it! Boys, it looks like we got ourselves some truly badass bitches visiting us here today, and you all know I got a soft spot fer such lovely examples of real fighting spirit! So, I'll tell ya what, now. I'll very graciously issue you both some free one-day passes to use our lovely territory. 'Cause I'm just _that_ generous! So please, make your way on through. Ain't none of my guys gonna touch ya, I promise! You can both just go on and get your sweet lil' selves on home now, go on, get going..."

Satsuki released an imperceptible sigh of relief, then shoved the money back into her cavernous purse. She looked over to Ryuko, motioning to the distant alleyway exit and subsequent freedom with a subtle nod. "Come on, they've 'seen the light'. Let's get out of this place before they change their minds."

Eyes squinting from giddy excitement, Ryuko resisted the pull of Satsuki's delicate hand on her own. "Maybe I don't wanna go just yet. I could stand to stick around and off a couple of these festering sores. Y'know, do society a favor and all that. Fuckers think they can mess with _me_?" She cracked a knuckle in one tense fist, the pop echoing like a gunshot in the confines of the alley.

The gang leader flinched, raising his hands up as he nervously protested this idea. "Hey, l-look, I fucked up, all right? I made a mistake, but now I-"

Ryuko ground her teeth, temples turning red as she spat out her harsh response. "Fuck that noise. _You_ are the mistake! You goddamned parasites, always leeching off society and dragging humanity down in the process! You need to be culled, plain and simple! And I'm just the person to do it, too!"

Satsuki stared at her sister with an alarmed expression as she sought to latch onto one of Ryuko's fists again. ""Ryuko, what the _hell_ has gotten into you? We need to leave before this goes even further south and degenerates into a scene that everyone will regret! Please, just take my hand and we'll just go. Please?"

Whipping her head around in an angry arc, the young firebrand abruptly seized Satsuki's hand as she poisonously growled "You want my fucking _hand?_ Fine,  here's my goddamned hand! Ya happy now?" Enraged eyes instantly melted into a gaze of worry as Ryuko observed the odd, pained expression upon Satsuki's face. Looking down, she then realized that she was accidentally crushing her sibling's hand in a terrifying grip of steel. She reflexively released her grasp, allowing Satsuki to protectively clutch her bruised fingers against her chest. For one brief, terrible moment, Ryuko could plainly see in Satsuki's wide, unblinking eyes that she was afraid. Not of them…but of _her_.

The fires were immediately extinguished from Ryuko's engine of destruction, replaced with a cold, hollow pit of guilty shame. Satsuki was able to forcefully mold her expression of exquisite agony into a fearsome grimace of determination as she proceeded to stalk her way towards the alley's exit. Head hung low, Ryuko quickly followed as an errant tear or two threatened to sneak past her blustery exterior. She wanted to start apologizing right away, but her breath was hitching on the verge of tears, and any observed crying was certain to trigger a catcall response that would start an unstoppable domino effect of mayhem and maybe even murder. Ryuko adopted the same granite-faced stance as her sibling did, both figures looking to all the world like twin hair-trigger explosions just waiting to happen.

The gang members watched the pair quickly hurry away, heads cocked in abject confusion. One punk managed to mutter under his breath "Th' fuck was _that_ all about? She some crazy-ass serial killer or what?" The gang leader exhaled, whistling as he slowly realized that there were worse things in the world than meeting _him_ in a dark alley. He adjusted his mirror shades as he addressed the entire group, once the girls were finally gone from view.

"Man, fuck this whole day. Boys, I have the feeling we dodged a scary-ass bullet today. That fuckin' chick is trouble with a capital T. I'll tell ya what, Rokko. Drinks are on me today! If that bitch was as hardcore as you say she is, we mighta been disbanded on the spot or worse! Shit, man. Now that I think of it, I once knew someone from that old gang of yours, brother of a buddy from way back when. He lost all his teeth that day, and he swore up and down she was a fuckin' demon sent from hell, out to slaughter 'em all with some fucked up weird sword or something! Man, to be eighteen and hafta get full fuckin' dentures done, just because some psycho bitch kicked 'em all outta his skull, can ya imagine that? That shit is _fucked up_ , yo. Shit, I need a drink. To the war room, boys! We gotta drink to forget this day eeeever happened!"

Whoops and hollers filled the air as they made their way to their hideout. The atmosphere of their debauched evening turned out to be much brighter than that of the two sisters, now making their way home after a rather stressful day.

Ryuko was so overwhelmed by conflicting emotions that her thought processes were essentially rendered inert. She robotically followed Satsuki to the car, only breaking the silence once their packages were secured in the trunk and they were safely on their way home. Rubbing her upper arms repeatedly in nervous, fretful worry, Ryuko eventually worked up the courage to speak...the brutal silence in the Mercedes' cabin was killing her, one painful heart squeeze at a time.

"Ah, how _*ahem*_ h-how's yer hand? Is it okay? Satsuki-sama, I...um, I'm really sorry for flying off the handle like that, I really am."

Satsuki responded by slowly curling and extending her bruised fingers around the steering wheel, peering intently into the rear view mirror as she did. After considering the various kinds of responses she could utilize, she decided simply to dole out the shortest, most succinct message she could. "Nothing is broken, save perhaps my trust in you."

Ryuko gasped, her throat swelling with emotion as she tried to find a way to justify her near-homicidal actions. "Please don't say that, I-"

"What were you _thinking?_ I tried to orchestrate a violence-free escape from an unfortunate confrontation, and you sought to exacerbate it, to turn it into a damned _murder scene!_ I know you have always lived for the thrill of it all, but there has to be a limit, Ryuko! Threatening to outright _slaughter_ people who pose no real threat to you? How could you do such a thing?"

"I...I just wanted to…"

 _'Kill them for daring to cross me!'_

"…teach 'em a lesson."

"Yes, I do understand that. There will always be lawbreakers and assorted scum who seek to prey upon others. We simply need to be _better_ than their ilk. You can't just 'off them' because they dared to threaten us!"

"Feh! Like anyone would even miss their worthless asses!"

"Isn't that what people once said about you? That you were a worthless piece of gutter trash? Yet here you are, seeking to callously exterminate them as though you were lord and master over this realm."

"You used to say the same about all of the 'pigs in human clothing' that dared to-"

" _I was_ _ **wrong**_ _, Matoi!_ I was a bitter, cold shell of a human being back then! How can you perpetually refuse to learn the lessons our lives have taught us? Ryuko, I dictated over a harshly Darwinist society that only served to precipitate desperation amongst those on the bottom who had nothing left to lose! I regret that deeply, for now I have seen the lingering effects of such a life. I would think that you, of all people, would understand that! You were once one of _them_ ; running with gangs, beating up all who dared to defy you...now you seek to exterminate them all? What if one of those men showed up at The Recover Foundation one day, begging for our help? Would you coldly turn them away to perish, or extend a helping hand?"

"I...I...but, that's different! They're the bad guys! They were gonna hurt us, or maybe even worse! It was guys just like that who used to try and rape me, when I was living on the streets! Sure, I was able to defend myself, but there were plenty of those who couldn't! Some scum just _can't_ be helped or forgiven, Satsuki!"

"Ah, and this coming from the girl who once admitted the desire to forgive Kiryuin Ragyo and even attempted to bring her back to Earth, planning to offer her a chance at absolution along the way. Hmm, yes. I see. Forgiveness is a fickle idea, coming from you. How disappointing."

Ryuko was shocked into complete silence. Satsuki was right...perfect bull's-eyes on all targets, as usual. Her hypocrisy laid bare, she stewed in her shame for a while, pondering just how she went so wrong in her reasoning. Why _was_ she so blasted angry with those punks, anyways? It's not like they had a snowflake's chance in Hell of actually harming either of the two extraordinarily combat-savvy women, all things considered. So what was she hoping to prove in that alley? What was she really seeking, other than the opportunity to bathe in the blood of her worthless enemies? To goad them into violent and brutal combat, in order to justify the horrific murder that she craved so very-

 _'Fuck, what am I even thinking? I don't wanna straight up murder people! That's just...crazy talk...'_

Yet a part of her _did_ want it, and she felt the delicious desire pulling on her nerves. An excuse to take their pathetic lives, to lick the warm blood from their cooling corpses as she purred and rutted herself to orgasmic-' _oh my God I feel sick'._

"Oh my God. I'm such a horrible person. I'm...I'm an abomination. I can't believe I...I'm so sick! I should be locked up, and the key thrown far, far away."

"Oh, Ryuko. Please ease back on your egregious dose of self-pity. I know you're obviously still having some issues with self-control and anger management, but let's not have you hurtling straight down into such a tar pit of self-loathing and depression, all right? I just need to know that the beautifully empathic wonder girl I know and love is still around, to guide me and help me be a better person like we discussed! I can't very well afford to have my self-appointed moral compass acting like my old, cruel and sadistic self, now can I?"

"Ah...no. No, you certainly can't…"

 _'I'm gonna be sick. Hell, I_ _am_ _sick! What the heck am I gonna do?''_

 _'…_ _ **you**_ _ **know**_ _ **what you must do**_ _...'_

 _'…huh? Wha-I 'know'…what?'_

' ** _You are going to give in. Submit to your instincts. You cannot deny them. Bow to your destiny_** _…'_

 _'Like_ _hell!_ _'_

' ** _Hell…Hell is trying to resist. Soon, you shall taste Heaven and never look back_** _…'_

 _'Oh, God…'_

 _'_ _ **Do not call out for such a being, Matoi Ryuko…for soon, you shall BE such a being**_ _…'_

"Sats, pull over right now! I'm gonna be sick!"

"Ah? Okay…there! Ryuko, are you all right? I didn't know you were _actually_ sick!"

Ryuko, now precariously hunched over the road's safety railing, evacuated her stomach in a most violent manner as waves of vertigo pounded and twisted inside it. As she dizzily balanced on the railing's edge, she found herself detachedly staring off into space, absently massaging her pounding temples with one trembling hand as a terrible thought slowly formed.

 _'Sats, you don't know the_ _half_ _of it. I…I think I'm goin' insane…'_

* * *

"Goin' to Mako's, Sats. Don't wait up, prolly be another late one…love ya."

"I love you, t-" Satsuki's response was cut off by the slamming door. A few moments later she heard the telltale roar of a familiar motorcycle as Ryuko quickly sped off. This 'secret project' of theirs must not be a simple task, whatever it was, seeing as it apparently left Ryuko with a notably sour mood come nightfall. Going by the vaguest of mumbled descriptions, Satsuki could only divine that it was related to preparations for Mako's new job and that it would take 'a while' to properly sort out.

Apparently it was also something that Satsuki could not assist with, since her offers to help were rebuked in a snide and almost condescending manner. She didn't want to forcefully intrude upon their friendship, this was true...but it would have been nice to at least be given the opportunity to assess the potential for providing any help herself? It was a mystery, much like Ryuko's recent attitude changes. How much to push Ryuko for information versus how much room to leave for much-needed personal space...this was a delicate balance that Satsuki still tried to calculate on a daily basis. She didn't want to be overbearing or pushy...yet she worried quite a bit more than she let on.

Her keen desire to assist Ryuko and her friend notwithstanding, Satsuki was also silently grappling with a somewhat new phenomenon: she was becoming rather lonely. Work was, as always, demanding of her utmost attention, but she had at least become wise enough to mete out mandatory personal time as well. It wouldn't do anyone any good if she burned herself out in such a stressful manner, and so she found herself looking forward to their mutual time off together. Whether it was quiet snuggling during movies, aimlessly poking around in quaint bookstores and antique shops, or just enjoying tea time while Ryuko planned her next 'daring move' in their latest chess match (bless her heart, she tries _so_ hard to impress Satsuki with amateur tactics that are painfully easy to anticipate!)...Satsuki found her evenings and weekends increasingly empty, with Ryuko gone as soon as she changed out of her work clothes, and more often than not coming home until long after Satsuki retired to bed.

Satsuki found herself to be nursing an increasingly hollow heartache that she never really had to address before. She began to pine for any amount of contact she could arrange with Ryuko, but their work environment afforded little opportunity for a chance at such meaningful affections. Ryuko's work skills were progressing at a satisfactory rate, and Ms. Amane noted in her last review just how very enthusiastically empathic Ryuko was to the new arrivals: her daily emotional roller coaster ride always seemed to vacillate between a zenith of impassioned, cheerful encouragement towards the abused and a nadir of virulent, blistering hatred towards the abusers. This was anticipated given her past history, but perhaps Ryuko was reacting just a bit too intensely to the plights of those in need? President Kiryuin Satsuki hadn't the time to witness many of these interactions herself, divided as she was between the foundation and the aerospace company…but perhaps it was better if she did find a way to insinuate herself in Ryuko's public interactions after all, especially in light of recent events.

While she admired Ryuko's devoted faithfulness to her best friend as well as her charges at work, Satsuki was becoming somewhat disenchanted with her sibling's increasingly brusque attitude towards herself, both at work and at home. The latest incident was a most troubling indication that Ryuko did actually have some lingering anger management issues…ones that could conceivably threaten her respected status amongst both friend and family alike.

Satsuki found herself trying to complete the incident report, still waiting upon her desk. Trying to distance her own self enough to be a dispassionate observer in writing up the details...this was a daunting task, given the nature of the unfortunate confrontation and its potential ramifications. Would Ryuko's coworkers ever feel at ease around her again, after witnessing the full capabilities of her unchecked rage? Satsuki was still calculating exactly what language to use during next week's staff meeting, to address the situation before Ryuko returned from her suspension...some people were outright frightened by what they saw and heard that day.

It began as a normal day at the office, with occasional visitors milling about with questions about substance abuse or hushed requests for psychological counseling. Front Desk Liaison Matoi Ryuko, as usual, handled it all in stride with hushed courtesy and quiet, practiced aplomb. It was becoming rather apparent that she had a way with people; even if she wasn't quite willing to admit as such (blushing was usually triggered as she mumbled shyly about it), she was rather good at assessing needs and handling them appropriately. But when one distraught woman furtively snuck in, carrying a traumatized toddler with her...this was what set the stage for Ryuko to eventually lose her carefully cultivated composure in a frightfully violent manner.

Rushing over in a blur, the eager front desk assistant set upon assessing her latest arrivals and was immediately shocked by both the woman's soundless weeping and her little boy's bright-red, swollen, and blistered arm. His weeping face was buried deeply in his mother's neck, and when he heard a stranger's voice near him he started to cry even louder.

The woman had a nervous, awkward smile on her face: the kind of shock-precipitated smile that said _'I'm so ashamed to have to bother you, but….'_ Ryuko rushed over, whispering that it was all right, everything would be all right…and to tell her just what the hell happened.

"H-husband was drunk again, he was mad. Dinner wasn't ready, he came home early! We fought as usual, a-and the water was spilled! It was...an accident! He didn't mean it, the boy was just trying to protect Mommy, he-the pot splashed him, it was still boiling...my husband, he was so _mad_ , he kept hitting me, over and over! He was going to kill me, like he always swore he would...I couldn't even stop to dress the arm, I had to run! I came right here, I was meaning to eventually come here for help, I swear I was! The...the hospitals, all too easy for him to find us there! I-you _hide_ people, yes? Your organization, it...helps people like me? If I go back, he'll kill me, I just know it! He showed me the knife he was going to use! He means to do it! Please, I beg of you! We have nowhere else to go! I need you to help my boy! Please! He's been burned! His arm...!"

Ryuko's face switched to that of grim determination. Motioning to one of the office assistants, she silently arranged for medical aid as she guided the trembling woman to an intake room located down the main corridor. "Of _course_ we'll help you, this is what we do! Come with me now, we'll need to treat your poor baby boy for that terrible burn, all right? Don't touch the blisters, we need to wash that area! It's all right, everything is going to be better from here on out. I absolutely promise you that no more harm will come to either of you, okay? Your days of living in fear are _over_. You're in the safest place ever, I promise!"

Nodding nervously, the woman managed to produce a faint smile in sincerest gratitude. "Thank you, a million thanks to you! You have no idea, living with that man...I…he, he just..."

Ryuko nodded slowly, jaw set firm in stern control of her swelling emotions. "I do know, I do. Try not to think about that right now. We'll fix your son up, right as rain! There we go, the nurses are here now, all right? They're gonna take your son now, it's only into the next room, okay? They just need to treat that burn properly, and then he'll be right by your side again real soon, okay? You can let go of him now, he's in good hands, I promise! Okay, there ya go, that's good. They are the _best_ medical pros in the business, he'll be smiling in no time, I swear to you! Just between you and me…? I'll bet he gets a big ol' teddy bear outta the experience, eh? Now...how 'bout yourself? Are you okay? Did he hurt you at all? Your face seems untouched, but I need to ask if he did any other-"

The woman jerkily nodded her head, eyes pinched shut in a pained, wordless response. She slowly lifted up her blouse to reveal a topographical map of blotchy, lumpy bruises. The yellow-red-green-purple distribution of knots told a grim story that had multiple chapters over a long period of time. Ryuko quietly gasped as the woman allowed her terrible domestic shame to finally be witnessed by another person.

"Never the face. He knows better, to leave any mark that would draw unwanted...attention. I...I'm never good enough to please him! He drinks...b-because I fail him as a wife! He punishes me to correct my behavior, but...I...I cannot _be_ better than I already am! I'm not good enough, _never_ good enough for him! But now, _now_ he threatens my baby, hurting me just isn't enough anymore! That is when I _know_ I have to be brave and l-leave him for good. My shameful cowardice, it is costing my baby boy his childhood! He should be loved and cherished, not harmed, not beaten! This I cannot allow! So please, _please_ help me find a way to grant my child the life he deserves!"

Eyebrows knit together in pained unity, Ryuko swallowed hard as she leaned forward to gently embrace the battered woman. Voice just barely under the limit of emotional cracking, she managed to utter a soothing message to her frightened new charge. "Listen. My name is Matoi Ryuko. I swear to you on this day that I will not rest until you and your child are free to live out life as it should be: unharmed and free from violence and hate. We will do everything we possibly can to create a new life for you both. That's what The RECOVER Foundation does: we will help you recover from this...that is our very reason for being here in the first place!"

"A-Ayako. My name is Ayako. My little boy, his name is Soichi."

"Ah! No kidding? My dad's name was Soichiro! See, that's a nice name for a boy! Pleased to meetcha, Ayako-san! Hey, didja notice that he's not crying anymore? See, they've already got him feelin' better in there! Listen, I'm gonna have the nurses check on you after him, okay? Those looked like some really nasty hits, and ya might have a cracked rib or two...and I personally know just how much those hurt, okay?"

"I...I suppose so. I don't want to interrupt anyone from doing their duty..."

"You aren't interrupting anyone from their job...you _are_ their job! Let us take care of you too, okay? Please?"

"O-okay. I will do as you ask. What...what will we do about my husband? He will be looking for me! I'm afraid that he might hurt someone! He is a very strong man, with a very quick temper!"

"Don't you worry about that. We have excellent security...and even better lawyers! This is what we do here, we fight for what's right. No worries, we're gonna protect you from whatever-"

"Ah…Miss Matoi? Sorry to interrupt. I need to speak with you for a moment." The voice from outside the room was soft, pleasant and had just the tiniest sliver of alarm embedded in it. Ryuko patted Ayako's hands, giving her a small smile of confidence before slipping out into the hallway. One of the counter girls was standing at attention in front of the door, eyes of concern betraying her otherwise chipper, smiling politeness.

"There's a problem at the front gate. There's a man here, demanding to be let in. It appears as though he may be related to our newest arrivals? We're looking for the president now to inform her as per our standard policy, but-"

A dark scowl swept across the young Matoi's face. She patted the girl on her shoulder as she started to trot towards the front door. "Never mind telling the boss. _I_ got this. Take care of Ayako, will ya? Try to get her to calm down…she ain't gotta worry about _anything,_ anymore. I'll personally make sure of _that_."

* * *

"I'm tellin' ya, I got business in that there fancy house of yers! That's my wife and my kid you got in there, and I _demand_ you lemme see 'em at once, _or else_!"

An enormous figure was seated within a comically small hatchback, with one muscular arm gesticulating wildly towards the two front gate guards, who were busy telling him in no uncertain terms that he was trespassing and the authorities would be notified if he continued his belligerent behavior. Bushy, curly hair spilled over his sweaty mug as he cursed and yelled, threatening a colorful assortment of highly illegal activities to all who stood in his way. Ryuko slipped through the gate, smiling pleasantly as she approached the most unwelcome visitor.

"Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave, 'kay? Here, lemme translate what these guards are sayin', just so there ain't any misunderstanding: we ain't buyin' what you're sellin', jerkwad. Beat it!"

"Fuck _you_ , lady! The taxi company told me where she went! She's here, wit' my kid! Now you bring my wife and son here to me so I can take 'em home where they belong, sweetcheeks!"

"Ain't gonna happen, bozo. Push off! Our lawyers will be contacting you soon enough. Of course, if ya really wanna push things, we could always serve you papers while behind bars, since you've already been warned about trespassing on private property! Wanna push yer luck, fat boy?"

The man snarled, fist pounding his car door as he spat upon the ground at Ryuko's feet. He stabbed one sausage-like digit towards her face as he growled his sinister orders. "Fuck that, ya stupid slut! Yer gonna go and fetch me my wife and my kid, like a good little girl! They're both _my_ private property, ya get me?"

That was the volatile spark that finally blew Ryuko's powder-keg temper straight up into the stratosphere. She visibly stiffened as molten metal coursed through her palpitating heart. Growling like a mad hyena, she stomped ominously towards his car window. He started to quickly roll it up as a precaution, but that was about as effective as shooing away a heat-seeking missile with a birthday candle. Her fist bashed straight through the tempered glass, clamping down upon his thick neck with terrifying strength as sparkling glass bits cascaded all over the interior of his tiny vehicle.

"C'mere, you fuckin' wife-beating, child burning waste of _skin!_ " Ryuko laboriously dragged him through the window frame, yanking him out even as he tried in vain to grip the steering wheel, then the door handle. The two security guards exchanged amazed glances, then shrugged as she had his way with him. She was the ranking official on the premises if the president wasn't around, as far as they had been told. They had put up with enough of the abusive bastard's caustic insults…and they would certainly enjoy front-row seats to witnessing him getting his just desserts.

Hoisting up his enormous frame with little effort, Ryuko fumed and hissed in poisonous anger at the barbaric troll that dared to treat his own flesh and blood relatives in such a deplorable manner. She was about to launch into a spirited tirade when his giant fist came crashing down suddenly onto her nose, his cruel smile quickly fading into a fearful frown of disbelief when he saw that this gesture was completely ineffective at obtaining his freedom.

Chuckling, Ryuko glanced down for a moment, then slowly looked back up, a deranged smile cutting across her features. "Yo there, bud…you've been working those triceps, huh?" She sniffled as a tiny droplet of blood appeared under her nose. A single fingertip flicked it away as she giggled and mumbled "Ooh, that tingles…"

The man had barely enough time to exclaim "Whut da _heck?!_ " before Ryuko suddenly dragged him to the front of his still-running car. "You wanna feel what it's like to be utterly powerless, tough guy? Here. Lemme _show ya!_ "

She clamped one hand upon the car's nose, then tore the hood open in one swift motion, metal shrieking loudly in protest as the man observed this feat of unbelievable strength with pants-wetting terror. "Oi, will ya look at that? They just don't make 'em like they used to! Gosh, that's a real shame. So tell me, tough guy. What _is_ it about huge dudes and tiny cars, huh? You should be like my buddy Ira, now he's a huge dude in a _huge_ car! Aw, but that would make _sense_ …I guess that's why ya don't do it."

Ryuko slowly forced the struggling man's head under the hood, his nose coming perilously close to superheated metal and whirling fan blades. He begged, burbled, farted, and quaked with fear as she crooned sardonically into his trembling ear. "Oi! Ya feel that, big boy? That's what it feels like when someone who is way more powerful than you decides to do as they please with _your_ dumb ass. See now, I'm just gonna go ahead and check the oil while I'm under here. Do _you_ see any dipsticks under here, hah? DO YA? Well, I do…and it would be a real shame if one were to somehow get in my **WAY** while I did that, right? Can ya _imagine_ that? Hurting someone yer suppose ta love and cherish and protect…just 'cause they got in yer way? Eh? _Speak up, you motherfucking assclown!_ I can't  hear you!"

" _YES_ my god YES I'm so SORRY I don't know what I was THINKING! _Please don't KILL me!_ " the burly man blubbered, tears and snot coursing down his bushy moustache as he shamefully begged and pleaded for his miserable life. Ryuko moved in closer, purring sultry words of doom into his ear as the grip tightened on his neck, inexorably pushing his face down towards the whirling radiator fan blades as she continued to talk.

"Gee, I don't know if you really mean it though. I mean, I just saw a little boy in there? His poor little arm is burned up so badly? And _someone_ beat his mommy up pretty bad, too. She can barely even walk! I guarantee that they're gonna remember _this_ fer the rest of their lives. Now the way I figure it…why should YOU get off so easy, fat boy? Maybe you need a _permanent_ reminder of just how very regretful you need to be when you go and-"

" **MATOI RYUKO!** Stop what you are doing this _INSTANT!_ " Ryuko grimaced, then slowly looked up to see President Kiryuin Satsuki, glaring at her through the bars of the front gate. Her enormously livid grimace was obvious to all, yet only Ryuko could have picked up on the well of overwhelmingly sad disappointment that was now filling Satsuki's haunted eyes. The president stabbed one finger down towards the ground.

"Release that man at _once,_ Matoi. I will not tell you again!"

"Do you know what this fat asshole _did_ , Kiryuin? He burned up his own son, and beat the shit outta his wife! I can't just let him get away with-"

"None of that matters if you are going to sink down to _his_ level. Matoi, if you harm that man, I will press charges against you _myself._ "

Squinting hard, Ryuko's eyes rolled towards the man's blubbering face. It would be _so_ easy…just push down a bit more, and…BAM, lesson learned! But…it wouldn't _really_ be learned, would it? No, this probably wouldn't solve anything, really. That, plus Satsuki was _super_ pissed at her now. Here she was, blatantly breaking her solemn promise to represent Satsuki's best intentions towards humanity by willfully becoming an abusive savage herself. If there was anything Ryuko had a natural talent for, it was angering her dearest elder sibling…but losing Satsuki's faith would be far more injurious to Ryuko than a missing nose would be to 'Daddy Dearest' here. She _had_ to put a stop to this, regardless of what her hungering heart was screaming.

Ryuko grunted, then _harrumphed_ as she reluctantly released her grip upon the man's sweaty neck. He unceremoniously fell to the ground, still blubbering and choking in paralyzed fear as he dropped into a wet heap on the driveway. She let the ruined hood clang down, causing the man to jump and fart again in sheer terror. Her spirit now weighted down with ponderous guilt, Ryuko quietly marched back through the gates, unable to even look up and meet her sister's soul-piercing gaze.

President Satsuki motioned towards the two gate guards with one nuanced head swivel. "Get that man out of here. Tell him to expect to be hearing from our lawyers, and to _never_ come back here again." The guards nodded enthusiastically, hustling over to dutifully assist the traumatized little man back into his traumatized little vehicle. She watched in calculated silence as Ryuko slowly plodded past the gate, then her own self.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Matoi? Explain your actions!"

"If yer waiting for me to say that I regret doing it, I don't. Fat boy had it comin' after what he did to that poor kid."

"Very well. In that case, you are hereby suspended from duty, pending further review. Go home and cool off, Ryuko. We'll talk about this when I get home."

"But I-"

" _No further arguments!_ I have spoken. Go. **_Now._** "

"Buh-but…f-fine then, your royal lordship! I'm _gone._ "

Satsuki coldly observed Ryuko as she made a beeline for her motorcycle, kicking it to life with tremendous fury and subsequently peeling out as she zoomed away through the side gate, intense scowl upon her face as she did.

Satsuki wanted to scream. She wanted to weep. She wanted to comfort her dear heart. She wanted to punch something until it was completely, utterly broken. But her face betrayed no hint regarding these emotions: she was the foundation's president; honor-bound to set the example for her charges to follow, and to put aside her own feelings in order to do what was _right_.

President Kiryuin finished her day by tending to the newly arrived woman and her child, personally making sure that they received proper medical care and preliminary counseling. After verifying that they had been safely shuttled away to one of The RECOVER Foundation's many designated safe house facilities, she saw to it that the staff lawyers had already initiated the proper legal proceedings to have the man prosecuted for his irresponsible barbarism.

The work day now officially over, Satsuki took her sweet time in her private office as the others filed out, gathering up her briefcase and coat as she changed into more comfortable shoes for the trip home. She idly wondered if Ryuko would even be waiting for her at home, or if she would be AWOL yet again. She knew in her mind that she did the right thing: Ryuko was caught red-handed, violently sullying the foundation's good name for the sake of petty revenge. So then _why_ did her heart hurt so damned much when she thought about suspending Ryuko indefinitely?

Quietly closing the closet door, Satsuki caught a glimpse of her gaunt reflection in the polished wood's surface as she turned to walk away. Frowning, she momentarily regarded her face in the glossy wood grain…then unleashed a frustrated scream as she struck out at it with one lethal fist. The face split as the door was cleaved in two, one piece tumbling away as Satsuki callously watched it fall to the ground with a clatter.

She fired off a quick maintenance request to the facilities staff; the door would be repaired by morning, no questions asked. Yet questions there were plenty, asked of herself as she drove home in seething silence.

* * *

Ryuko wasn't present when Satsuki arrived home. She wasn't entirely surprised. Nor was she shocked to find herself retiring to bed alone, with no words, text or e-mails to placate her gnawing worry. It was well after midnight when she found herself being awoken by the clumsy motions of a silent figure, slipping into bed without a word.

"Hey." Satsuki quietly called out.

"… _hey_." The voice was hoarse, the word being more of a dry, strained whisper than an actual attempt at verbal communication.

"Are you all right, Ryuko? I was very worried about you…"

"Fffine. 'M jus' _fine_...g'nigh', Satzzz…"

"…good night, Ryuko."

Satsuki heard the girl plunge into a deep slumber in a matter of seconds. It was only then that she noticed the odd, pungent smells wafting over from across the bed's vast expanse: the stink of cigarette smoke, the sharp odor of cheap booze…and the tangy copper of recently-spilled blood.

Satsuki moved to turn on the bedside light. Ryuko's head was buried sideways within her pillow, drool already forming a light sheen upon her chin. She hadn't even managed to successfully nestle herself under the sheets, instead having passed out mid-crawl. There was no immediate sign of injury upon the girl's mostly nude body, but the dirty white tank-top she was wearing told a worrisome tale.

Speckles of vomit decorated the upper edge of the neck lining, while cigarette burn marks and various rips and tears denoted where an obvious bar fight or two had left their telltale marks. Satsuki shook her head in nose-wrinkling disgust...until she saw where the stab wound in Ryuko's side had bloomed into a dark maroon crust.

Gasping, she worked quickly to turn the unconscious girl's chilly body over. Rock-hard nipples poked up from wobbling breasts, peeking out through several, apparently recent knife marks in the fabric. Multicolored stains gave it the appearance of the world's worst urban camouflage pattern ever, resulting from what seemed to be numerous shots of clumsily spilled (or thrown?) alcohol. Satsuki quickly checked the kidney area where the stab wound was apparent and found that Ryuko's flesh was blessedly unharmed: she must have healed from whatever event had caused this atrocious, gory hole. It was a fairly small slit, most likely a switchblade from the looks of it.

Satsuki looked down at the rest of her wayward sister. Dried blood was still visible on her knuckles, as well as under her nose. She was still wearing a red-sequined thong (She _owns_ a pair of these?), along with a single red sock that barely clung to one limp foot. Patches of dirt, dust and ashes haphazardly covered her arms and legs. Traces of glittering glass bottle fragments and wood splinters were evident in her knotted, lumpy hair.

Glancing at the floor, Satsuki spied a trail of hastily cast-aside clothes in the hallway, leading into the bedroom. Sighing to herself, she checked one more time on Ryuko's miraculously-steady breathing, then set herself to the task of picking up after the discarded trail of war accessories.

A long, crumpled receipt fell out of Ryuko's disturbingly filthy jeans as they were picked up, and Satsuki caught a glimpse of a rather long list of assorted beverages from that evening's bar tab...a tab that totaled over forty thousand yen. Her keen eyes scanned the various charges, one by one. They were all drinks that Ryuko was known to enjoy, as was personally witnessed on the eve of Satsuki's (now infamous) twentieth birthday party, the latter of which was spent holding back poor Ryuko's hair as she wretchedly puked into the toilet all night long.

There was no _way_ she could have consumed all of these by herself. Right? Well, there were no answers to be found here: Ryuko was very, very unconscious right now. Satsuki briefly considered bathing the poor, filthy drunk...then thought differently as she imagined the terrific fight a suddenly-awakened-yet-still-inebriated Ryuko could potentially put up.

Dumping the clothes into a laundry hamper, Satsuki then peered out of the bedroom window to look in front of the garage. Ryuko's motorcycle was resting on its side, on the grass next to the driveway. _'I cannot believe it. She obviously rode that thing home while drunk! I simply cannot allow this sort of thing to continue...there will be harsh words between us, come the morning!'_

Alas, the morning only came to reveal an empty bed next to Satsuki, once she drowsily awoke from her faithful bedside vigil. Her phone was blinking a text message alert, which she hastily opened and read.

 _'sorry. not mad at you, mad at me. im a mess, i fucked up bad, so sorry! got super wasted, dont remember much, lost a few fights im a total loser. you should fire me, even tho itll kill me, i want to help them and you so bad! i was wrong. you are right 100%. i am sorry, i was a monster, am a monster! please dont hate me but i understand if you do, love, your idiot girl ryuko'_

She blearily looked out the window to find that her sibling's motorcycle had been properly placed upright, yet was still inexplicably there. Where, then, did Ryuko go? Even more mysteriously, she didn't answer any more of Satsuki's worried texts throughout the entire day, only reappearing later that evening with a heartbreakingly sad expression and haunted eyes, dark, bloated and puffy from repeated crying bouts.

Satsuki didn't care to lecture her wayward sister at that point; she could only move to embrace the deeply depressed youth as she stood there in silence on the front steps, pitifully trembling and weak from hunger and dehydration. Ryuko appeared to be in the process of completely falling apart, yet she couldn't (or wouldn't) offer any coherent reasons for exactly what was troubling her when pressed.

In the end, it didn't really matter. Satsuki would discover in less than a week's time just how deeply disturbed her beautiful sibling truly was…all it took was a single, fateful surprise visit from Mankanshoku Mako to cause Matoi Ryuko's house of lies to come crashing down upon the both of them.

* * *

"You are lying to me, Ryuko! Mankanshoku Mako stopped by earlier today, you know. In _fact_ , she said that she misses you, since you haven't stopped by to see her in _weeks!_ She's sad that you have neglected her, and now I'm sad that you have blatantly lied to my face. I demand to know why."

This information served only to harden the young drifter's features, once she found herself being unexpectedly cornered by her supremely livid sister's sudden confrontation. Jaw clenched impossibly tight, she quietly muttered "You…you wouldn't understand." Her head dropped down, hair cascading over pale features to cover the turmoil now present in her precariously slipping mask of sanity.

Incensed, the former Kiryuin warlord gritted her teeth noisily as anger flared in her breast. "I refuse to accept that as an answer, Ryuko! There is nothing I cannot 'understand', if provided with the facts. The _truth_. What do you have to say for yourself, in light of what I just told you? SPEAK!"

Ryuko whipped her head up, temples flaring a dull maroon as sweat trickled down her slowly-reddening face. "Who, me? I'd probably say ' _Ease the fuck up, Inspector Noseypants_ '! I didn't… _lie_ , exactly. I've been going to Mako's house at night for the past few weeks. I didn't say I actually went _in_. I just…I couldn't bear to do that. I'm so afraid of bad stuff happening! I ain't gonna be near my bestest pal if I suddenly go all crazy and shit, ya know? Yeah, yeah, I know you prolly think I'm nuts, Doctor Satsuki! Hell, even now I'm really lubed up and _rrr-_ ready to…ugh, I really want to do…some really…bad things…rrrgh! Damn it all, Kiryuin! You and your fucking blasé, know-it-all attitude! I swear, sometime you make me wanna just fucking go and…and…"

Satsuki stiffened, one fist pounding against her thigh as she jabbed an index finger towards her erratic sibling. "Are you actually _threatening_ me, Matoi? That distinctly sounded like a threat of imminent violence. How _dare_ you react to me in such a disgraceful manner!"

Ruoko winced, then slowly brought up both of her fists together in front of her troubled face. Satsuki tensed for a split second, interpreting this to be a sign of yet another heated brawl between them. Instead, Ryuko solemnly buried her face behind the curled fists, bloodlessly white knuckles pressed to a sweat-beaded forehead as her shoulders imperceptibly shuddered. Eyes closed tight in silent contemplation, the young firebrand just stood there, efforts to compose her tornado of thoughts having a diminishing level of success. Her lips mouthed a string of mostly unintelligible words, haphazardly spilling out random, poorly-hidden fragments of a crumbling soul: "…losing…trying….focus, can't… _no_ …you _won't_ win, can't…!"

Satsuki also just stood there, observing her sister's inexcusable behavior play out in a most shameful manner. She waited for the wound-up youth to lash out at her, fully expecting her authoritarian attitude to earn her an attempted, misguided and utterly pointless ass kicking.

"Ryuko, if you're going to try and hit me, just _do_ it! We need to work past this childish nonsense, and my patience is growing quite thin." Satsuki was deliberately poking at the hydrogen balloon now, since it was obvious that way too much pressure had been allowed to build up between them. All of her preliminary tactical planning evaporated, however, when she observed Ryuko to shudder with one final, violent twitch, quietly drop her guard and slowly look up at her. All anguished traces of imminent violence had been magically wiped away, replaced with a serene, tranquil expression of muted happiness.

"Oh, no. No, Satsuki. You don't understand. I have no harm in mind for you whatsoever. I _love_ you! I want you to be absolutely healthy and safe, you are simply too important to me! When I think about all the punishment you've endured in your proud lifetime; all that damage, the horrible pain and twisted suffering…it simply won't do. It's just not fair at all! So I'm going to find a way to make it all better, I _promise_ you that. Hey now…come here, you. Give your imouto-san a hug! I need you to  feel the love, not just hear me talk about it!"

Ryuko opened her arms just then, a grand and swooping motion that brought to mind a falcon, preparing to take majestic flight. Satsuki hesitated: something just didn't quite ring true about the whole situation. Her sister's behavioral cues, they were now somehow…off. Stilted. Grandiose and powerful, not shy and mildly awkward, peppered with either fearsome defensive threats or guilty, paranoid posturing. What was bringing on such a marked change in mannerisms, then? Drug use, perhaps? Had she developed a drinking problem, like their dear father did (although she had detected no telltale reek of alcohol in the past week)? Or was something more unsavory at play here? She simply needed to know.

This moment of situational analysis was processed extraordinarily quickly, yet Ryuko sensed the brief pause anyways. She frowned as her head cocked to one side, a slight look of hurt upon her features. "What, come on then? No hug? Don't you trust me, Sats?" She beckoned with one outstretched palm, gently coaxing and prodding her dear sister to come closer.

Satsuki blinked, then reluctantly relaxed her instinctually coiled spine. Something was somehow managing to trigger her embedded awareness alarm, but she really had nothing concrete to base it upon. Satsuki just wanted to soothe her emotionally tortured sister at all costs, and the distraught girl seemed to be calmer already. She reluctantly moved in closer, allowing Ryuko to quickly close the gap and encircle her waist with a gentle grasp of loving want.

"There now, that's better, see? My dearest Satsuki. I love you, you know…I love you so very, very much. I cannot bear the idea of you hurting any longer. I will make the pain go away, I promise!" The young Kiryuin slowly wrapped her lithe arms around her younger sibling's form, exhaling her unexplainable nervousness away by sheer force of will as she did. She submitted quietly to the warm, comforting presence of the girl she had come to treasure like no one else, cherishing the loving sensations as the very rarest of precious gifts.

"I...love you too, Ryuko-chan. I would be utterly lost without you." Another brief shudder rippled through Ryuko's frame, and Satsuki squeezed just a bit more to counter the presumed swell of emotions that were now ensnaring the love-struck troublemaker. Satsuki slowly pulled her head back, just enough to come nose to nose with the blessedly sweet angel in her life.

A single tear slipped down from the inside corner of Ryuko's shimmering cobalt eyes. Satsuki idly watched it trickle down, eventually snaking its way past the corner of that adorable little nose and the cutest of smiling lips…and as it rolled past one glistening, fiber-serrated fang, two hypervelocity shocks suddenly bolted through her being.

First, she had finally managed to identify the strange, eerily out-of-place behavioral patterns she noted before: they weren't the sweetly goofy antics of her beloved Matoi Ryuko, now standing perilously close to her…they were much more reminiscent of the darkly seductive, predatory actions of one _Kiryuin Ragyo_ : long since deceased, yet still an ominous, lingering presence to those who once lived in her cold shadow.

Second, the grasp of a steely fist had just seized Satsuki's flowing locks, pulling her head back in one surprisingly swift motion as Ryuko delicately whispered a missive that was barely audible, yet still crystal clear.

"Satsuki, I don't want to just _be_ with you… _I want to synchronize with you._ "

Satsuki was still trying in vain to process the cryptic meaning of this chilling comment as razor teeth savagely pierced her throat's tender flesh.


	15. - Gravity -

\- Gravity -

* * *

 _This is the end, beautiful friend_

 _This is the end, my only friend, the end_

 _Of our elaborate plans, the end_

 _Of everything that stands, the end_

 _No safety or surprise, the end_

 _I'll never look into your eyes, again_

\- The Doors

* * *

Satsuki awoke with a start. Disoriented, she struggled to open her eyes as sensations of light and sound assaulted her in chaotic waves. Fingertips flew up to check her throat as scattered memories started to creep back, organize, then spell out a most disturbing tale. No wound or contusion was detected, however, and this absence of injury only served to deepen her unsettling concern. ' _Was…was that real, or just a dream…?'_

She slowly rose up from her supine position, blinking curiously as she attempted to identify the unfamiliar surroundings. Squinting against the bright sky, she looked around in confused wonder as the sight of a lush green meadow filled her vision. A glittering ocean of deepest blue was observable in the distance to her right, and a field of tall, golden grain was to the immediate left. It was all somehow too bright, too real…colors were supersaturated with brilliant shades of emerald, glowing gold, and vibrant azure that caused her eyeballs to ache. A cacophony of odd noises distracted any attempts to center her focus…was that a dog barking? But where was it, there's no animal to be seen around here at all? A pinpoint streak in the sky was quickly identified as being a distant jet airliner…but it sounded way too close, too loud?

Satsuki cautiously sniffed the air. There was the pungent scent of pine, but she saw no forest of trees to explain such an unmistakable odor. And yet…why on Earth did this scenario feel so blasted _familiar_? She tried to stand up, but the ground wobbled uneasily beneath her. Dizziness washed over as her mind tried to reconcile the feelings of marshmallow malleability under body with sights of rippling grass under hands. Something was very, very _wrong_ here.

"Hello, Satsuki! How are you feeling?" Ryuko appeared from amidst the billowing sea of grain, parting the straw colored stalks as she stepped daintily into the meadow clearing. Satsuki blearily focused upon the familiar sight of her sibling as she tried in vain to clear this uncanny fog of war away by willpower alone. No such luck: vertigo was still stubbornly present, as were some nagging suspicions regarding her own cognitive functionality. _Could_ she be actually…losing her mind? Nothing was making concrete sense anymore. How would she even know? Did crazy people ever _truly_ know that they had gone…mad?

"Wh-what...where _is_ this? Ryuko, is that really you? I feel…so very _strange_ , I can't quite seem to…"

Ryuko kneeled down and caressed the confused woman's shoulder, a quiet smile plastered upon her face. Satsuki casually glanced up towards Ryuko's mouth, looking for the savage fangs that rent her flesh into bloody shreds. Normal, pearly canines flashed back at her as Ryuko regarded her sister with an abnormally chipper smile.

"Everything is going to be okay, Satsuki. Relax, all right? It's going to take some time to get used to this. Here, let me dial down these surroundings, now that you're finally awake. I was going for 'peaceful', but perhaps it's more 'jarring' in retrospect? Personally, I find this technology to be just a bit garish and rough around the edges, but I have yet to fine-tune the settings to my liking. The colors and sounds are just a little bit too intense to me, or at least to a being with _my_ unique senses. Right, Sats…?"

One remote adjustment later, and the area slowly melted back into the familiar environs of their very own bedroom. Satsuki nervously blinked, then exhaled as the realization finally sunk in. She was in bed, it was all just the technologically summoned imagery from their house's cutting-edge holographic array. That oddly intense pine scent still lingered, though...and she knew that this technology simply could not replicate actual scents as of yet...ah, of course! That was just the master bathroom's pine-scented deodorizer. How blatantly obvious! But wait…why did it now seem so overwhelmingly powerful, when it was barely even noticeable before? It was as though Satsuki's sense of smell had somehow been boosted a hundredfold, and as innocuous as that may have seemed, it only served to send her into a dizzier tailspin.

"Ryuko, I don't understand. What _happened_? We were talking, then I recall…a brief struggle, I think? We were fighting about…ah, I had caught you lying-" Her eyes narrowed as she regarded the abnormally calm creature now standing before her. Hand reflexively stroking her neck once again, she involuntarily shivered at the memory of razors, filling her neck with silver-red _agony_ , and then…nothing. Nothing at all.

Ryuko chuckled. "What happened, you ask? Well, you might find this hard to believe at first, but I saved your _life_ , onee-san." She continued to gently smirk as Satsuki stared at her, reality still not feeling quite solid enough to steady her mental footing just yet.

Nose wrinkling in disbelief, the young woman scoffed at this exceedingly strange declaration. "What does that even mean? Did you actually attack me? You _did_ , didn't you?! Yes, I distinctly remember that happening now…my hair, it was caught by your fist! That was no dream! You bit me…tried to kill me!"

Ryuko clapped her hands together as she chuckled again, tickled at the very idea. She sat upon the edge of the bed and placed one reassuring hand upon Satsuki's thigh, delicately caressing it as she explained the reality of the situation.

"Well, okay. Your memories are…mostly correct. Yes, I did bite you…but it was not to end your life. Rather, what I have done is _prolong_ your life, since you were blissfully unaware of the seriousness of your own deteriorating physical state. _'The candle that burns twice as fast'_ indeed, eh Sats? How remarkably accurate that statement ended up being in retrospect! It wasn't just from worry or an ulcer, you know. You were dying of _cancer_ , Satsuki. Remember? That nagging pain in your stomach? The one you never quite got around to consulting a doctor about? Yes, it turns out that was actually a rapidly growing tumor, onee-san. In fact, it was in the earliest stages of metastasizing into your spine and liver. The exposure of that parasitic kamui driving your human body into cellular overdrive plus that innate, heightened rejection power over your implanted fibers...well now, this certainly provided you with some rather aggressive stamina and resilience at the time, but unfortunately that _also_ meant eventual, uncontrollable malignant cell growth once Junketsu was finally cast aside for good! You see, it turns out that extreme stubbornness doesn't necessarily bode well for the individual organism at certain times! I've come to learn this, and you should as well. You need to  listen to your body, now more than ever! In fact, I'd actually ask that you do that, right now. What _is_ your body telling you right now, hmm? Please…do tell. Go ahead. I'm being quite serious here."

Satsuki studied the unnervingly placid face before her with burning intensity. Tightly pursed lips finally spat forth a hasty, venom-tipped barb. "It tells me that you're _lying_ , whoever you are. I feel just fine! That, plus you don't even _sound_ like my sister anymore!" Ryuko's warm smile grew even broader at this energetic exclamation.

"Yes, you feel 'just fine' now…just as I knew you would! Oh, and I grew tired of that juvenile syntax, if you simply must know? Proper communication is absolutely crucial at this point in time for me, and I won't have anyone mistaking me for some petty hoodlum or street rat! But no, what I am asking now is that you put aside your understandable confusion and rather obvious animosity for just one brief moment. How do you _truly_ feel right now, Kiryuin Satsuki? Please, just take a minute to think about this and answer me truthfully."

Satsuki paused. How did she feel? She felt…good, perhaps? Really good, in fact. The absence of pain suddenly made itself glaringly obvious, much like the sweet bliss of total silence after the abrupt quelling of a harsh, drawn-out shriek. The grinding, ever-present agony of her ruined joints, the deep ache of her twisted back, the piercing scrape of claws inside her midsection…it was all _gone_? Not even a stress headache lingered behind to distract her thoughts. A chill of goosebumps quickly rushed down her back and erected her nipples at full attention. Wispy neck and arm hairs stood up as though electrified.

Satsuki's eyes darted down to her left hand. The jagged, cruel scar that once split her palm in two was completely gone, as was the ever-present dead numbness. Fingers curled over to gingerly rub fingertips together, and blessedly full sensations rewarded her cautious examination efforts. Her eyes shot wide open, unable to comprehend how such a biological miracle could possibly take place.

 _'How? By all that is holy, how can this_ _be_ _?'_ Satsuki was simultaneously elated and frightened at the same time, warm giddiness mixing with frozen fear inside the whirling maelstrom of her mind. Ryuko gently squeezed Satsuki's thigh, resisting the delicious urge to allow her hand to drift upwards and show her dear, beautiful Satsy just how much _better_ she could soon be made to feel. Instead, she just patted her leg and nodded sagely.

"Yes, that's right. The pain…I told you I'd make it all go away, and now I have done so! You deserve this, Kiryuin Satsuki…more than anyone I've ever known! So brave, risking your life and even your soul to save your home planet! I have deep admiration for one who is so very dedicated to such a cause. You're welcome, by the way, for healing all of your terrible ailments. Perhaps you would prefer a full explanation now? Hmm?"

Satsuki just nodded, hands folding protectively over her chest as she tried not to scream at the sheer insanity of it all. Ryuko… _her_ Ryuko…somehow cured her of…of  everything? _'Wait. Did she say 'your_ _home_ _planet'…? Does that phrase mean what I think it means? Oh please, no…'_ She was rendered absolutely speechless by all of these overwhelming implications…that is, until Ryuko finally laid out the entire truth for her to absorb.

"Very well. I have taken the liberty of utilizing my active life fibers to connect with your dormant ones and establish the proper connections to your various biological systems. I deployed this fix by gaining subdermal access via your carotid artery and intravenously spreading out my fibers inside your body, in order to properly reignite your own. It was quite a painstaking process, and I assure you that you were _not_ an easy patient to treat at all! Nevertheless, the procedure turned out to be successful, once all was said and done. You and I are now kindred in every way…hybrid fiber beings linked by both spirit _and_ flesh."

Wide eyed, Ryuko giggled impishly as she tilted her head, somehow conjuring forth a chilling image of Harime Nui's saccharine smile to the forefront of Satsuki's mind. She shivered involuntarily as Ryuko gleefully gushed about her daring and triumphant biological thread-weaving. "Oh, I'm so very happy! Now I don't have to feel so utterly alone on this planet anymore. Now I have you…my _true_ kin. _Our synchronization is now complete!_ "

Satsuki shook her head, trying in vain to clear her thoughts of rampant fears and cluttered misgivings. The dawning realization of what had just occurred began to sink cold steel talons deep into her heart. "But you've _always_ had me, Ryuko! You didn't need to…to...how _dare_ you defile my body like this! You had no _right_ to invade my person and try to turn me into…into-"

"What…a _monster?_ Go ahead, say it. I know what you're thinking. What _everyone_ has been thinking, ever since the debacle of my tortured existence first began on this wretched world! You speak of having the right? Well, _might_ makes right. I learned that by watching you, now didn't I? Up there in the sky, lording so very effectively over Honnōji Academy...so beautiful! I learned then of the important role that wielding and projecting power has in this world. I had the power to _make_ things right…so I did! It really _is_ that simple! Look, sometime very soon? You'll be thanking me for all of this, I just know it!"

"Wh…who the hell _are_ you?"

"Who am I? _*sigh*_ Well, as I stand here before you, I am the being known as Matoi Ryuko. However I have also become…more than that. My lifelong inability to properly coexist with my life fibers has thankfully come to an end. At long last, we are one in perfectly symbiotic bliss! It took a very long time to reach this perfect equilibrium, and I fought it for so very long…because I didn't understand! But now I _do_ , Satsuki! It's the stubbornness: _it's genetic!_ The indomitable will that we both share by virtue of our Kiryuin blood? It's the reason we didn't immediately submit to the implanted life fibers…or to _anyone_ , for that matter! I've been subconsciously resisting the life fibers' mental influence within me since I was a child! Hell, yours were subdued before they even had a chance to properly take root within you at all…who knows if you'd have turned out the same way if your implanting was done earlier? But not I...my implantation was performed at just the right time! Yet something within me was putting up some tremendous resistance anyways, so the fibers had to slowly increase in power just to keep fighting me, to break through. Believe me; they'd _never_ had such a challenging time completely bonding with a biological creature before they met me! Don't you see, Satsuki?  This is why I've always been such an irritable and difficult person; I've been unwittingly fighting the mental part of the bonding process for most of my life! Regardless of this subconscious atomic war, my fiber-laced tissues grew exponentially with physical power anyways. Father noted this early on, so he devised a therapy to put my life fibers into 'hibernation' during my prepubescent years, for lack of a better word. To slow down their attempt at molecular symbiosis to a glacial crawl…but I was still able to harness enough physical power from them to defeat _anyone_ who stood in my way during my childhood. You see, 'Doctor Daddy' didn't want me becoming too powerful before my time, lest I somehow draw some unwanted attention from 'Mother of the Year', right? Oh hell, all those damnable needles and syringes and endless tests! Ah, but now? _Now_ we are fully fused in both body and mind, and I can finally be the  true human/life fiber hybrid I was always meant to be! I've been reborn, better than ever! They finally succeeded in working their way past whatever inconvenient mental shielding I had up that was stunting total access to my prefrontal cortex, and as a result I can now _finally_ accept them for what they truly are: both my salvation _and_ yours!"

"So now you've made me into a...a life fiber hybrid? You invaded my body, my very soul…against my _will_? Or was it just to obey _theirs,_ instead?"

Ryuko sighed. This was taking too long to sink in. She deftly struck out, slashing the confused Kiryuin across one forearm with a sharp, fiber-enhanced fingernail. Satsuki gasped as blood trickled down her arm, so quick was the blow that she had no time to even react. Before her shocked eyes, a sparkly bluish haze instantly appeared around the cut. Glittering blue fibers quickly knitted her flesh back into smooth, unblemished skin in a matter of mere moments.

"There. See? Do you finally get it now? You're just like me. Perfectly healthy, virtually immortal, and ready to take on the entire world! Which, as a matter of fact, happens to be exactly why I did this! That is the ultimate destiny that awaits us both! I am so excited, I can hardly wait to see your face! You and I, Satsuki? Our shared legacy will someday be that we realized your ultimate dream: we are going to use our life fibers to transform this planet's population into an orderly paradise… _together!_ "

Satsuki's jaw dropped, flabbergasted at what she just heard. Ryuko was cheerfully describing plans for planetary domination and subjugation of the entire human race...these were the legendary hallmarks of Kiryuin Ragyo's cruelly ambitious machinations. It was as if she was dealing with a shade cut from her own evil mother's domineering cloth! Ah, maybe...she _was?_ Perhaps this was just a life fiber _clone_ of her dear sister, which was somehow created and then escaped from…? No, the colors were completely normal, and there wasn't even anyone left who could possibly concoct and carry out such a devious scheme. As depressing as it was to consider, this _was_ her actual flesh and blood sibling now before her, chirpily describing the intent to commit a massive planetary hijacking. Ryuko continued to happily blurt out her thoughts, excited words spilling forth unheeded as rapidly gesticulating hands enhanced her descriptions of this visionary utopia.

"Listen, I have it all planned out. We simply need to breed enough life fibers to take over the planet's population. Now I know it sounds like an impossible task, but in actuality it won't take nearly as much as you might think! Most people are just weak-willed sheep…or pigs, if you prefer? It won't take much to assume direct control over them. Fortunately, my particular life fibers don't propagate by detonating an entire planet! What a relief, eh? That is _such_ an inefficient means of spreading one's genetic seed across the universe! Too much is left to random chance, and it is terribly resource intensive...something like that should be purposefully and intelligently guided every step of the way, don't you think? Asexual fiber spawning via wholesale planetary destruction is a thing of the past now!"

Ryuko suddenly snapped her fingers as a most delectable piece of information ushered itself into her train of thought. How could she possibly forget to introduce _the_ most delicious detail of the 'new fiber world order' to her most beautiful and intensely attractive Satsykins? Her pulsing vagina was spontaneously tingling with immense anticipation at the very thought of it! Ryuko bit her lower lip as she forced herself to stop fidgeting and behave...for the moment, anyways.

"Mmmm! Oh my goodness, how very silly of me! I simply cannot forget to mention the most delightful aspect of our new relationship! I'll need your help for this plan to work, my dear lovely Satsuki! You see, we'll have to mate in order to create a legion of my particular brand of life fiber hybrid spawn! That's why yours have manifested as a different color, you see. Now I won't go quite so far as to say that they are 'male' and 'female' life fibers, per se, but…well, just between you and me? I somehow think that we both know who the 'girly' one _really_ is here…right, my 'Squishy Satsy'? Heh-heh-heh! Aw…what, no smile? Come on, not even a chuckle? Really...? Oh, well. I thought it was funny! _*sigh*_ Anyways…they are but two halves of the same glorious creatures! It turns out that they  also managed to develop some distinctly human DNA characteristics as a result of our shared genetic splicing! Isn't that simply amazing? The overwhelming challenge of being exposed to my unique structure forced my fibers to spontaneously undergo their very own evolutionary change! That's right: I somehow managed to override the life fibers _themselves!_ I'll bet Father wouldn't have seen _that_ twist coming! In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that these 'new breed splice' life fibers of mine have been orchestrating this entire relationship of ours from the very beginning; subtly swaying my physical attraction to you, setting us up in advance to become a future life fiber breeding pair? It certainly would explain my overwhelming urge to bang the living _hell_ out of you ever since we met, sibling relations be damned! Well at any rate, that shouldn't be an issue…since we've already _been_ mating for quite some time now. Isn't that right, you amazingly beautiful sex goddess?"

Satsuki didn't react. She couldn't. She was immobile, frozen to the spot by all of this provocative new information. She felt the terrible urge to scream, to panic, to lash out in devastating anger...it was all promptly ignored in an effort to patiently extract more useful intelligence from her obviously unhinged hybrid sister. Ryuko crouched down and locked eyes with her stunned sibling as she soberly spelled out the impetus behind her grand ideas.

"Listen, I've decided that you were right, all along. People _need_ to be controlled. In our current state, humanity will _never_ be able to mount a proper planetary defense, in case those damned 'original' life fibers do return. We need to be banded together as one cohesive unit! We could wait until the stars fall from the sky and humans will _still_ have yet to reach a proper consensus in the face of their imminent extinction! I once said I wanted to contribute to that future, and this is how I'll accomplish it! I've already sacrificed my very own body to reach this goal by helping your aerospace company with the creation of ingenious new space-age materials, haven't I? In your own way, you have been contributing to this vision too...by providing exemplary leadership with amazing amounts of blood, sweat and tears! Think about it, Satsuki: _absolute control over every living soul_. We now finally have the means to protect this beautiful planet of ours from any future dangers! Only this time, fear will _not_ be freedom…no one will have any cause whatsoever to be afraid! We'll _all_ be on the same team…with you and I poised as the rightful custodians of Earth's glorious future!"

The former Honnōji warlord quietly considered these chilling words as she was swallowed whole by the sins of her past. Memories of deviously manipulating the masses, of dictating with her merciless steel fist, all cunningly arranged by her own unstoppable, adamantine will. Yet what had that ever earned her, if not a heart perpetually swollen with shame and burning regret? It certainly sounded like a goal she may have once had, of zealously controlling the populace until they followed her every maniacal whim without question. How could Ryuko possibly forget what that was like to experience firsthand, and the untold misery it caused? How can she be awoken from this fevered dream? How to go about saving her from this atrocious-

"Oh, I do _love_ your new eyes, by the way. They are far prettier than they ever were!"

Satsuki's head snapped up from her tactical introspection. "What? What _about_ my damned eyes? So help me, Matoi! I swear…I should just-"

Satsuki suddenly sprang up and bolted past her sister, towards the master bathroom and the expansive mirror located within. Skidding to a halt, she hastily slammed on the wall switch to illuminate her glaring face. Twitching cobalt eyes stared back at her; octagonal star-shaped pupils, eight ragged points of which were emanating from the center of each eye, contracting and quivering as Satsuki took in the irrefutable ocular evidence of her recently forced hybridization.

"I like your eyes better, really. My little eye spokes are outright boring, compared to yours! I mean, come on: 'starry eyes', right? Oh, my dear Satsuki-sama, they are simply _gorgeous_ , just like the rest of you! I won't lie, I am positively jealous! I'll tell you one thing...I am reaching for the stars, in more ways than one!" Ryuko cheerily lurked around the corner of the door, her own gear-shaped pupils twinkling merrily in open admiration of these new fiber-triggered enhancements.

Hot tears suddenly cascaded out from Satsuki's transformed orbs, and her fists clenched with incandescent rage as the full reality of the situation finally crashed head-on into her raging brain. Veins strained and bulged in her arms, her temples, and her neck as tendons of titanium strength groaned and creaked within her new, fearsomely lethal frame.

Historically speaking, there were very few recorded instances of Lady Kiryuin Satsuki completely losing her composure. She had always prided herself upon exerting absolute control of her faculties in all situations, and at all times. Even when infuriated, she purposefully left a core of rational cool in charge of her actions…it was all part of surviving successfully under Kiryuin Ragyo's maddeningly abusive aura.

Here and now though, all traces of self-control were swept away in a blistering flood of supercharged adrenaline as Satsuki proceeded to blow her ever-loving top in a catastrophically volcanic fashion. A supersonic fist blasted through the bathroom's thick marble countertop, exploding in a cloud of annihilated rock as she managed to unleash a terrifyingly piercing screech, laced with stinging hurt and unfathomable fury.

Satsuki then looked up to catch a quick glimpse of her own violently enraged self, reflected in the cold mirror before her. She could no longer recognize what it was that she now saw in that reflection, and it wasn't simply because the mirror had just been shattered by the force of her own destroying hand; it was because someone _else's_ destroying hand had once again reached inside and shattered _her_ by force.

"Grrr _RR_ _ **RAAAHH**_ _hh!_ You…damned… _weak-minded_ … _FOOL!_ Those godforsaken fibers have completely overridden your very being, ruining your precious soul in the process! To even _think_ of perpetrating such a heinous crime upon the entire human species in such a manner…! A-and to just reach inside _me_ and completely corrupt my body with your tainted alien infection... _without my consent?_ You soulless...goddamned filthy _rapist_ … ** _you're no better than Ragyo!_** "

It was Ryuko's turn to stand there in slack-jawed shock. The wholesale and immediate rejection of her feverishly perfected master plan…this was not to be expected at all! But it made such perfect sense?! Wasn't this what her dear Satsuki always wanted? A foolproof way to control the populace? Oh, and to compare her own selfless actions to that of the soulless demon-creature known as _Kiryuin Ragyo?_ That filthy nightmare monster, that tortuous harpy from hell? How DARE she make such an accusation!

"Why, you thankless **_ingrate!_** How can you say such terrible things to me, Satsuki?! I've devised a foolproof plan to _save_ this entire planet from total catastrophe! Look, _I'm_ the real hero here, and I-"

 _" **I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO RAPE THE ENTIRE PLANET, MATOI!** " _

The force of the blow that followed this shrieking exclamation shook the house's foundation and even managed to crack the bedroom's reinforced windows from the subsequent shockwave. Ryuko found herself to be instantly flying through one, two, three entire walls as wood, wire, plastic, rebar and concrete painfully lashed her suddenly-ballistic body.

She finally came to an abrupt stop against the leather couch in the upstairs den, her obliterated jaw already mending from the brutal assault. Gingerly sliding a jagged splinter of steel out from under one split kneecap, Ryuko absentmindedly spat out a glob of maroon gore, tooth enamel and glass bits onto the carpet as she focused upon the rapidly approaching, wall-shaking stomps of one severely pissed off Kiryuin Satsuki. Her quickly fiber-mending jaw was immediately put to the test as she started to hastily shout out a mushy explanation in the face of this impending threat to her impassioned plans.

"Ow! _Thathki?!_ Wha' th' fuggin' hell's th' pwoblem hewe...y'r atchally _mad_ a' me? Buh why th' hell are—will ya jus' listen t' me f'r a damned minute here? I'm trying to _help_ us all!" Dumbfounded, Ryuko managed to hobble up just as Satsuki blew the den's oak door right off its hinges with one ferocious front ball kick. Sheetrock dust had settled to form a ghostly pall upon the enraged woman's face, twin vertical lines cut into this fearsome war mask by silent tears of boiling frustration. Glowing cobalt coals burned from deep within Satsuki's eye sockets, casting a fearful blue haze around the wild hair that now framed her frenzy-warped face.

Insulted as she was by her elder sibling's unanticipated reaction, Ryuko also felt a burgeoning twinge of fear lance her chest as she took in the shocking sight of the infuriated and sorely violated woman, now stalking towards her with grim intent. She found herself mentally freezing as her sister's wholly unexpected rebellion was discovered to be much more costly than she had originally guessed.

It would appear that Ryuko had grossly miscalculated exactly what would result from reigniting the full life fiber capacity of her fanatically trained warrior sister. Ryuko was the physically stronger of the two, that she absolutely knew for a fact...but she was at a sudden loss for words as she received a lightning-quick flurry of crushing jackhammer strikes, delivered with frightening accuracy to her temple, her larynx, her kidneys. The lady known as Kiryuin Satsuki had been forcibly transformed into an inhuman wrecking machine, fueled by an unholy mix of betrayal, traumatic hurt and frothing rage…and Ryuko had absolutely _no_ idea how to defuse her rampage without killing her. She was a critical element to her master plan…Satsuki simply could _not_ be replaced!

Off-balance and left with no time whatsoever to process a proper defense from this murderous onslaught, Ryuko found herself desperately searching for a quick way out of this mess. A strategic retreat was deemed to be of greatest importance if she was going to find some way of salvaging her golden future dream from the misguided clutches of this merciless Kiryuin juggernaut. She stomped one foot straight down with incredible force, a tremendous explosion of wood and carpet shrapnel blowing up all over the immediate vicinity as she hastily plummeted down into the jagged hole now created before her…down into the dark garage, where her trusty motorcycle and certain escape faithfully awaited her.

Satsuki snarled poisonously as needle-sharp teeth ground together with a horrifying screech. "RRRrrrrr-nnn- ** _NO_**! _No escape for you, Matoi!_ " Her iron claw swooped down into the gaping hole and clamped down upon Ryuko's retreating skull as she fell, gripping it with terrifying force.

" ** _GyaAAAarrgh!_** Let **GO** of me, you crazy _bitch!_ " Satsuki's electric blue, fiber-barbed talons dug painfully into the flesh of Ryuko's scalp, cleaving open crimson furrows as they sought purchase deep within her fracturing skull. Kicking and screaming, Ryuko flailed her legs about violently as waterfalls of hot blood saturated her face and stung her eyes, pouring down the back of her neck and trickling into her cleavage. The gore was making Ryuko's head too slippery to hold, and Satsuki found her grip losing precious traction. The Kiryuin she-demon quickly reached out with her other clawed hand as her torso dropped to the floor with a wet thud, powerful legs splaying out to keep her warrior body braced exactly where it was.

As one hand lost its grip, the other managed to find Ryuko's red streak, which Satsuki seized upon with brutal savageness. The shrieks multiplied in force, and Satsuki watched grimly as her sister's body started to involuntarily convulse with tortured, pained spasms. Satsuki had always wondered about the exact composition of that red streak, and now it was becoming painfully apparent that it was a direct life fiber shortcut to Ryuko's central nervous system.

Snarling and drooling, the young girl drove her fist straight up in desperation, piercing the ceiling and embedding her own elongated razor talons right into the meat of Satsuki's hip. She bore down hard upon bone and was rewarded with a sickening crunch as the hip joint was loudly and traumatically dislocated. A horrendous scream was quickly followed by the blessed release of her maimed red streak as Satsuki involuntarily drew up into a fetal ball, desperately grasping at her torrentially gushing hip as hoarse, braying curses turned the air blue.

Ryuko impacted the concrete below with a wet slap as blood sprayed out to form the vague shape of red liquid wings around her torso. Her head was on atomic _fire_ ; the sizzling electric current from her mauled streak was overriding all attempts at rational thought. She reflexively curled up into a ball as well, mentally willing her fibers to hurry the hell up and repair the most grievous of these injuries. She could now hear that Satsuki was somehow _already_ banging methodically down the stairwell, leaving the wounded girl with a vague impression of what a Mack truck full of anvils rolling off a cliff might possibly sound like.

-boom-

*boom*

*BOOM*

 ** _*BOOM*_**

The interior garage door exploded into fractured kindling, with a limping Kiryuin Satsuki inexorably drifting through the cloud of pulverized dust and splinters as she lowered one trembling foot. The fiber she-devil pressed one gore-soaked palm against her rapidly healing hip as she savagely willed her weakened leg to keep up the required cadence. Wickedly pointed eyebrows now framed wide-open eyes of glowing nuclear blue fire, such was the sheer intensity of her naked rage. Ropes of newly-awakened life fiber threads roiled and darted under the surface of her neck and chest, writhing and bulging under pale skin like so many serpents trapped within a cloth sack.

Ryuko wearily raised her pounding head from the floor as Satsuki slowly shuffled towards her location. One shaking palm was cast out towards the rage-fueled destroyer in a desperate bid for mercy. "Sats, w-wait! Stop, please just _stop_ , I beg of you! Listen, I… _*cough*_ …I just need some time t-to explain! I don't think you quite understand…I need you to focus on the big picture here!"

Satsuki's eyes became dark slits as she bitterly regarded her foe. Metallic growling was transformed into a hissed declaration of sheer contempt and hateful disgust. Her voice was somewhat reminiscent of a rusty axe being dragged over a slate walkway as she spoke.

"How _disgraceful._ "

After pausing for a brief moment, Kiryuin Satsuki slowly tucked her arms behind her as she assumed a full-attention military pose, it being so engrained into muscle memory over the years. The sparkling blue glow from her pelvis faded as her fibers dutifully completed repairs on the wound. Ryuko distantly noted that _her_ fibers were still working upon knitting her mauled scalp back together, although they had finally stemmed the worst of the bleeding.

 _'How did she manage to heal so damned_ _quickly_ _? She's only been a hybrid for a few hours! Are mine in some kind of shock from her trying to tear out my damned streak, or is she somehow naturally faster than me…?'_ She swallowed thickly, then jumped as Satsuki clacked her heel sharply upon the concrete.

"Would _you_ like to undergo the blood purge? I don't need to wish for Bakuzan at this point, you should know. Behold." Satsuki drew from behind her the Sword Scissor blade, once luckily rescued from the deep sea…the very one that Ryuko had so casually tossed into the upstairs den closet after Satsuki attempted to gift it back to her, several months ago.

"You said that you could never envision a time when you might need to rely upon this cursed blade ever again, as I distinctly recall. I do understand your feelings. After all, this _is_ the very blade that once slew our own father. Yet, who knows? Perhaps it has yet to drink its fill of a Kiryuin's cursed blood, after all…" Satsuki slowly pointed it towards Ryuko's throat, which reflexively tightened in fearful response. Her voice was cold gravel as she addressed the false-skin creature, now pathetically sprawled before her on the chilly ground.

"Answer me truthfully, beast! Else I shall work to strip those damnable fibers from your very _corpse._ Is there _any_ way to have my sister delivered back to me, intact _and_ unharmed? Will you willingly cede full control of her faculties back to her, once again? Or are you _truly_ a lost c-cause?" Her voice cracking at the last second, Ryuko furtively glanced up from eyeballing the gleaming blade to catch the twinkle of a tear as it dribbled down Satsuki's filthy, battle-hardened face.

Warily eying the razor-keen edge of the Scissor Blade once again, Ryuko raised her trembling palms out for her seething sibling to see. She worked laboriously to hobble up onto her knees, blood seeping into the fabric of her pants as she gasped and panted before the savage warrior queen. "Please…s-stop that. Stop treating me as though I weren't your own sister! I _am_ Matoi Ryuko! This is who I _am!_ Satsuki, my entire _life_ has been about transformation! Why should one more bother you?"

Satsuki slowly curled up her lip to reveal serrated, fiber-augmented fangs, blued steel in hue and ferociously sharp in appearance. "Heed my words carefully, creature. I once said _'To defeat Ragyo, I must treat all human beings as pawns.'_ That was  my grave mistake, to choose to employ _her_ depraved methods…it made me just as evil as her, in my own sordid way. Now I am hearing much the same, only  you seek to treat all human beings as _actual_ flesh slaves! That is utterly subhuman, to even _consider_ the perpetration of such an evil, abhorrent crime against nature! So you dare to ask why _this_ transformation should bother me? Because, Matoi…it means that you aren't _you_ anymore! You've transformed into… ** _her_** _._ " The last word she uttered trailed off into a burbling, raspy growl as she tightened her grip upon the shiny blade.

Ryuko began to splutter in defiant rage at this cold insinuation. "Who…h- _her_? Do you mean Ragyo? Or are you _also_ daring to compare me to that insane fucking fiber abortion known as Harime Nui? _Answer_ me, you arrogant-" She started to stand up and protest until Satsuki flicked the blade past her neck in an almost imperceptible blur, opening up a stinging wound that wouldn't heal for a long while thanks to the Scissor Blade's unique fiber-dulling properties.

"Does it even matter anymore? They were _both_ degenerate rapists. Matoi Ryuko, I adore you more than I have ever loved anyone or anything on this planet… _ever_. But I won't hesitate to exterminate you if you're… _*sniff*_ …if you're truly gone! I will not tolerate this…this foul _thing_ , masquerading as my darling imouto-san in her beautiful skin! _I will not!_ Do you _hear_ me, you accursed fiber creature?! I will personally expunge you from this plane of existence if she has been forever _stolen_ from me!" She slammed the sword down into the concrete, a blinding bloom of sparks flashing towards Ryuko's face as her gleaming crimson eyes widened in fear.

Hissing through bared fangs, Ryuko reluctantly knelt back down in the congealing pool of her own blood. The unexpectedly cold chill of the liquid surprised and distracted her, so she briefly glanced down at the bloody pool out of curiosity…and a crushing sense of Déjà vu hammered her right between the eyes. Her reflection, as seen in the blood's shimmering surface, was indeed of the girl known as Ryuko Matoi…but as a fanged, feral beast.

It was that _vision_ , the same exact harrowing vision that she had once glimpsed in a pool of blood, spilled during her intensely violent match with Sanageyama Uzu, many moons ago. Suddenly…she somehow _knew_. There, in one brilliant flash…she knew just how and where everything went so very wrong. The facts flooded into place, and the grand solution to this puzzle was spelled out for her in chilling detail.

When she was cruelly shot in the back, it sent her fibers into manic overdrive to save her life…but they didn't stop there, once her life was out of mortal danger, now did they? No, they did not. This surge awakened their genetic imperative, forced it out beyond the learned desire to peacefully inhabit their host's body in domesticated bliss. No, they had been jump-started, galvanized into remembering their clade's _original_ purpose.

 ** _Subjugate._**

 ** _Enslave._**

 ** _Overwhelm._**

 ** _Dominate._**

And what better place to finish that job than from within their very own host? The host who somehow, in some unexpected way was gifted on a genetic level to resist their unbelievable power! To negate their insidious puppet-string pull and take direct control of their unimaginable abilities, to tap into it without being mentally usurped for _their_ hidden purposes?

 ** _Unacceptable._**

 _'Yeah…right, it_ _is_ _unacceptable! Gimme control over my friggin'_ _life_ _back, goddamn it!'_

 ** _Impossible._**

 _'No! Fuck 'impossible'…and fuck_ _you_ _, too! My name is Matoi Ryuko…I_ _live_ _for pulling off the impossible!'_

Ryuko strained and heaved as she started grasping at her own quaking torso with the force of a feral bear. She knelt before her beloved Satsuki, shivering and choking as warm blood and tears poured down her slick cheeks in fresh rivulets.

" _Ack-!_ Ah, I'm… _*krrchh*_ Yuh…suh…Sats! Satsy…I…I'm so sorry! It's m-me, like fer real this time! I'm being…ggrrrrr _controllllled_ , I c'n feel 'em _*agh*_ fuckin' with meee…draggin' me back under their powerrr… _*hefff*…_ p-please, I'm beggin' ya! You gotta f-find a way to sssstop this, I'm jus' too damned dangerousss!"

A grotesque ripple of life fibers worked their way up and down her sinewy arms, causing Satsuki to recoil in horror as thorny fiber brambles broke through the surface of Ryuko's skin and instantly healed over and over in agonizing waves. Sputtering as she choked and violently shook, Ryuko managed to flash her pleading, suddenly blue eyes up for one brief, desperate moment to connect with Satsuki's, begging as blood and spinal fluid slowly trickled out from one flaring nostril.

 _"Onee-san…you have to kill me."_

Satsuki's fiery blue eyes widened, horrified at such a terrible plea. " _NO!_ I will not! Fight it, Ryuko! I know you can do it! You are blessed with the willpower of a thousand suns! You can _beat_ this!" She reached out to comfort her beloved sibling as the Sword Scissor blade was lowered, to find a way to save her darling love from this insidious soul hijacking...but Matoi Ryuko had other plans.

Ryuko suddenly stood up in a blinding flash, lashing out with a sound-barrier-breaking sidekick that sent Satsuki sprawling into the shattered garage wall. The foundations shook and groaned from the force of the impact as the motorcycle's headlight suddenly exploded into powdered glass dust. Satsuki growled, preparing to get up and kick back when a sharp piece of rebar came crashing down into her shin, pinning her to the concrete floor with armor-piercing effectiveness. Ryuko then rapidly bent the end of the bar over, forcefully jamming the other end into the ground as well, effectively stapling Satsuki's mutilated leg to the cold garage floor.

The fallen Kiryuin warrior braced herself for the killing blow, but none fell. Openly weeping, Ryuko shuffled backwards as she trembled and quaked. Hands pressed to agonized temples, her face bore a terrible expression of anguish and sadness as she regarded the horrendous sight of what she had just inflicted upon her own beloved kin. Ryuko vomited just then, a vile stream of black blood and bile that splattered upon the floor in repeated torrents.

Suddenly finding herself perfectly still within a strange halo of eerie calmness, the traumatized girl sniffled wetly as her voice quavered out to her writhing, near-feral sister, now struggling to get a grip upon the bloody, slippery rebar that viciously pinned her to the concrete.

"Satsuki-sama…? Oh no... _no!_ What have I _done?_ Oh, damn me to hell…I'm so sorry for this, all of it. This is _all_ my fault! Sats...hey, nee-san...? Please, _please_ look up at me!" Anger and agony flashing from her wildly piercing glare, Satsuki's twisted mask of rage quickly looked up from desperate efforts to extricate her limb from the steel trap. Her contorted face slowly melted into a mess of heartbreaking, confused worry as she locked gazes with her once-sinister foe.

 _'No...she's different now? Not a foe? It's...her?_ _My_ _beloved Ryuko! Has she finally triumphed and won the fight over her own destiny? Oh Gods above, please let it be so!'_ The fiery rageglow fading from her eyes, Satsuki reached out cautiously with one quivering, blood-covered hand, desiring more than anything to be allowed the heavenly honor of caressing her precious, beautiful angel once again. Ryuko read the warm intentions behind this motion and ruefully shook her head, her own hand reaching out in longing for the same aching desire to love and be loved once more...the touch that she now feared she could never experience again.

"No, Satsuki. It's me for now...b-but it won't last for long. I can feel 'em workin' at... _rrrrr-_ cracking my mental control again! I can't just break through this like I did Ragyo's mind control...it's me I'm fightin' here! Look, I...I gotta go now. I need to deal with this shit in my _own_ way. This'll end the way it began, I swear! Just promise me that… _*sniff*_ …you'll always remember that I love you f-forever, all right? _Never forget that!_ You are an immensely beautiful person inside and out, and I'll always remember you as the greatest love I've ever known! I always wished I was more like you...and I'm sorry that you never got the chance to beat my awesome ass at Guitar Hero in the end. I guess that kinda makes up for all those times you utterly dominated me at Tetris, r-right?"

Ryuko mounted her motorcycle, hitting the garage door switch as she kicked over the engine with a loud, braying roar. She rolled the bike forwards, nudging the front wheel towards the opening darkness. She wasn't going to miss the bike's shattered headlight, she could see just fine in the darkest night. She could see her final path to salvation, out there in the cold darkness; she only had to focus her steel will and hang on for just a little bit longer...

Revving the engine, Ryuko looked back for one last, sad glance at the best thing that ever happened to her. Her chin quivered as tears fell freely from tired, pale cheeks; the idea of never seeing her beloved, beautiful Satsy ever again was lancing her anguished heart with more pain than Kiryuin Ragyo's claws ever could.

A hushed murmur managed to work its way to Satsuki's overly sensitive ears as the motorcycle started to roll forward. "Why the hell does it only take a minute to say 'hello' and forever to say 'goodbye'? That word _really_ sucks…there's no 'good' in it at all! I swear, some things I'll _never_ understand…"

Satsuki tugged repeatedly at the rebar shackle, feeling it start to give in to her immense strength. It was finally uprooted from the concrete with a nails-on-chalkboard screech, allowing her to quickly extract the metal from within the sparkling blue wound. The bar was tossed aside with a loud clang as she desperately hobbled forward to stop her wayward sister from fleeing the scene.

"Ryuko-chan, _no!_ Don't leave! I beg of you, please let me help! We _will_ find a way, I promise you! _Please, please don't leave me!_ **_I LOVE YOU!_** **_RYUKOOOO!_** "

It was too late. The main security gate dutifully opened, allowing Ryuko's bike to rapidly accelerate out beyond their estate's walls, billowing clouds of dust and exhaust fumes swirling in its wake. Satsuki watched helplessly as the bike's bright red tail lights faded quickly into the darkness, cruelly spiriting away the last hopes of saving her precious love along with them.

* * *

 _*beep-beep*_

"Damn it all, pick up the phone!"

 _*beep-beep*_

"Come on, come _on!_ "

 _*beep-click*_ "Uhmm… _*yawn*…_ mmmyello? Whozis, eh?"

"Inumuta! Listen up, it's Satsuki! I urgently require your assistance, right away!"

"Lady Sat- _err_ , Satsuki?! Sorry, I'm up, I'm awake! I most respectfully apologize! I _wasn't_ sleeping in the lab again, I promise!"

"I'd think not, since it's nearly eleven at night! Look, are you home right now? I need to meet up with you, it's quite urgent! "

"I'm...er...well, I am still at the lab, actually. I was _just_ getting ready to go home, and I simply-"

"Fine, I'll see you there! I'm closer to that side of the city anyways. I should arrive in approximately…nine minutes or so. Prepare some tea, we shall have great need of it! This is...it's about Ryuko. It's _bad._ "

She couldn't tell over the phone that all the color had just drained from his face, but she could sense it anyways. The cold urgency was painfully apparent to him...something was actually _scaring_ his erstwhile leader to the very core of her being.

"Of course! It shall be done, my La-"

 _*click*_

* * *

The tea reached a perfectly cooled temperature just as Satsuki walked into his office. Inumuta sized up the situation as quickly as his mind could analyze the clues. His boss was obviously distraught, and it looked as though she had been engaging in a late night bout of…well…do-it-yourself home repairs? Her glossy black mane was a disheveled mess, plaster and wood dust covering her normally fashion-perfect hair. She did not move to take off her long trench coat when she came in, and even odder, she had sunglasses on this late at night…which also were strangely not removed as she gratefully accepted his offer of a hot, steaming cup of tea.

Hōka started to question exactly what the hell was going on, until Satsuki proffered one, ever-so-slightly trembling index finger in order to silence him. She allowed herself to enjoy one brief sip of the savory, aromatic drink before slowly putting the cup back down. Exhaling, Satsuki then turned to fill in her technology chief about the evening's recent events.

 _'Ryuko has run OFF, she's not answering my phone calls, her phone is OFF, I cannot LOCATE her, she might be unstable now, I need to FIND her before it's too LATE-NO, damn it all! Stop panicking! Calm down and focus! Get_ _ahold_ _of yourself, Kiryuin!'_ Satsuki forced herself to center her being, and somehow managed to project an orderly, matter-of-fact voice out to address his imminent queries.

"Look, Inumuta-san. I know this is a bit unorthodox. I'm worried that something bad might be happening with Ryuko. I can't say for sure, and I don't want to say for certain that the 'worst-case scenario' we once discussed is actually transpiring, but…"

" _But_ you need more information if you are to make a truly informed decision, since she would balk in a most unsavory manner if our fears were proven to be unfounded. So...exactly how bad is it, Satsuki? _Should_ we be preparing for the worst?"

She paused for a moment to collect her scattered thoughts. Her shoulders drooped as the true weight of the situation exerted a most terrible gravity upon her psyche. "I...yes. This should be assumed. I need to locate her as soon as possible. We may not be able to save her from this, Hōka. In fact, from what I've seen tonight...we may not be able to save the _planet_ from this."

At this, she slowly removed her sunglasses and looked directly at Hōka's probing eyes. He adjusted his glasses, then jumped and nearly dropped them as he finally focused upon Satsuki's newly fiber-starred pupils.

" _Dear God_...Lady Satsuki! Your _eyes_ , they are…they've been…what does this all _mean?_ "

"It means what you have most likely already surmised, given your current expression. Ryuko, under the sinister influence of her own life fibers, has taken the liberty of awakening _my_ dormant fibers, triggering a belated life fiber genesis in the process. It means that I have now become a human-fiber hybrid creature, just like her own self."

For one split second, Satsuki finally understood what it must have been like, to actually be the being known as _'Matoi Ryuko, Fiber-Laced Demon from Hell'_. Her senses were so acute now that she could easily sense his subtle posture stiffening, the dilating pupils and quickening pulse and respiration. He recovered quickly and in an impressively professional manner, as he was wont to do...but she knew the instinctual truth: in that moment, Inumuta Hōka was utterly terrified on a base level at the very idea of this most shocking revelation. Well, it was understandable...he _was_ only human, after all.

"Ah, I…see. I must admit, that is _most_ unexpected. I shall update my tactical analysis at once to include this new information. Are you...well, Lady Satsuki? Has this experience negatively impacted your ability to effectively function in the field? If so, I'm sure I can call upon the others to provide assistance."

"Hōka, I understand your concerns. As of right now, I am fine. I now have access to a dizzying array of new senses and heightened skills that I have yet to fully catalogue or even test. I can hear, see, and even feel things that I find hard to believe are even detectable. In fact, in addition to healing a myriad assortment of lingering ailments and injuries, it has also spontaneously cured me of the cancer that was eating me alive."

"Oh! You had _…cancer_? Dear God, Satsuki! I...I wasn't aware of that fact!"

"Neither was I. Let us not fret over my condition at this point in time. Locating and rescuing my sister is of paramount concern to me! She is bravely struggling to wrest control back from these insidious puppet fibers of hers, but I fear that time is perilously short in this regard! How can we locate her, Hōka? She left the house in a rush on her bike about twenty-three minutes ago. Her cellphone is apparently off, I have already tried to track her with that. It's not transmitting a signal right now. It may be off, or it may already be destroyed..."

Pushing his glasses up with utmost urgency, he nodded as he pulled up a mapping program on his laptop. The room filled with the sound of furious keystrokes as he rapidly searched for a critical database, comprised of important security codes and registration numbers. "I have an idea. I once took it upon myself to outfit all of your personal vehicles with anti-theft transponders, including her motorcycle! If she is still using it for travel, we can find her in this manner. Here, let me fire it up..."

The lab's main screen blinked on with an enormous map of the surrounding area. A multitude of flashing green markers were blinking out one by one as he filtered out the various assets related to the tracking beacons. He suddenly gestured to the screen, index finger firmly pointing towards the western portion of the map.

"Bingo! There! I'm sure of it. According to the tracking sensor, it was moving at a rather rapid velocity until about seven minutes ago. Look there, Satsuki...that's _your_ house!"

She gasped as her keen eyes verified the topographical map's longitude and latitude. "She went _back?_ Why on Earth did Ryuko return home so soon after making her grand escape? Hōka, please pull up the house's internal video and audio feeds. We simply must determine what she is planning!'

The strategy chief blinked nervously, whistling out a stream of pressurized air as he built up the courage to deny his leader right to her demanding face. "Lady Satsuki, I regret to inform you that I cannot do as you ask."

Her head whirled around to stare in genuine shock at her normally obedient tech guru. " _What?_ Why the hell not? Hōka, this is an  emergency! I'm _ordering_ you to pull up those damned feeds!"

He covered his grimacing mouth with one hand as he slammed down the other upon the desk. "I can't! I made a solemn vow to you and Ryuko when you moved in...I purposely severed all incoming video connections to the house's mainframe! It can only make _outgoing_ connection requests. This was part of the oath I swore: to uphold your request for absolute privacy! I'm certain I told you of this! I'm sorry, I simply can't override it from here; I'd need to reconfigure the system from within the house!"

Satsuki closed her eyes tightly, seething at her own unbelievable misfortune. Of _course_ he had done so. It was at her own behest: she could recall the words now with perfect clarity. _'Oh yes, I know you'd like to see her face. Well, privacy_ _is_ _paramount, Inumuta-san. Camera access is_ _only_ _to be granted in case of an emergency.'_ The Isshin Aerospace Company's Chairman of the Board found herself silently cursing her damned Kiryuin luck, as well as her inability to anticipate the potential of such a predicament. ' _So much for being a tactical genius, you foolish woman!'_ She gripped the car's key fob in her trench coat pocket, already making calculations as to both potential travel times and fervent prayers as she started to move towards the door.

Hōka suddenly stiffened up, snapping his fingers loudly as he vigorously shook one finger towards the ceiling. "Oh! Oh, wait...hold on! Satsuki, I believe that I may have just outsmarted myself! Just give me a moment to see if...hmm, if I can just tap into...okay, here's _that_ connection...now turn these over to this section, engage long-distance zooms and apply these exact noise filters and add in some light sensitivity modulation to...ah, yes! There! I only disconnected the house's _internal_ connections...I still have full access to all of your estate's  external feeds! Here now, I've just commandeered all the available PTZ cameras to focus upon every window and door in the entire building. If we can catch a glimpse of her movements inside the house, maybe we can discern her motives!"

"Yes, but we can't very well hear anything! We might catch a flash of her head as it crosses a camera's view, but this alone isn't going to provide enough information to assess the situation! Can you possibly access the main system's internal microphones?"

"Ah, no...for the same reason as the video feeds. However, I think I have a theory about that as well that just might come to fruition. Here, let me switch this over to piggyback onto this channel, then we can try to mix out the horrible-"

The horrible, tinny screech of amplified feedback filled the room. Satsuki slapped palms over her ears, the sound assaulting her newly-sensitive hearing to the point of debilitating nausea. Hōka furiously worked to adjust the audio stream, applying various filters and noise reduction algorithms on the fly. The final result was laden with popping static and filled with harsh, tinny compression, as though the sounds were somehow emanating from inside a large water tank...but sounds could now be heard from within the house.

"How-? What methods did you employ to achieve that feed?" Hōka tapped at the screen's running programs as process indicators worked to weave a recognizable pattern from the collected aural chaos. "I pushed the external microphones sensitivity to their absolute maximum limits, and then pointed them at the windows. I'm picking up the window's glass vibrations via a combination of the built-in anti-theft sensors and the mike feeds. This is then processed by a specialized audio filter that I whipped up one time during my old spy tech days for the purpose of…uh, illicit eavesdropping. I _may_ have watched too many spy thriller movies as a child? The results are serviceable enough for this sort of 'espionage', I believe?"

Hōka moved to turn up the resulting audio mix, so Satsuki closed her eyes and focused as she concentrated her fine senses upon deciphering the stream of desperate verbal deliberation that now filled the room.

"...all right...fine! _*crash*_ No fuckin' Scissor Sword! Dammit, she musta took it with her! Of all the shitty luck! _Shut the fuck UP!_ _*SMASH*_ Aw shit, her friggin' Bakuzan Gako's missing, too! _*bang*_ Fuck 'm I gonna do, how'm I gonna pull this off without a capable- _NO!_ I will NOT! Fuck off! I _am_ in charge here, so suck it! You _rrr-_ ruined my entire life! I may as well just curl up and DIE if I can't be with her! _*boom*_ Y-you destroy my chance at true happiness? _I'll fuckin' annihilate yours!_ _*CRASH*_ You shitty alien threads just FUCKED with the wrong girl, I promise you that! _*BAM*_ I gotta find a sure-fire way to...to...oh, shit. That's  it! A _sure-fire_ way is right around the corner! Won't _he_ be happy to assist in this, that fuckin' paranoid-ass thug! Fuck it, whatever...I gotta hurry _-*hurrkchhh-uuurgh-oh fffucck meee*_ NNNnNNNnghhh _STOP IT RIGHT NOW! Ya can't s-stop me!_ Your plans are _doomed,_ ya _hear_ me _,_ ya fuckin' Silly String parasite _bastards? The end is near! *crash!*_ Gotta find that dickhead before it's too late—" _*SLAM*_

Satsuki's eyes flashed open. "It sounded like Ryuko was searching for—ah? She's outside now, running away from the house! Hōka, can you track her movements?" He scrambled to quickly reassign the estate's perimeter cameras, eyeing the digital map as he did. Exhaling in frustration, he quietly cursed under his breath at the agonizingly slow turning speed of the camera mounts.

"She's not on her bike…it hasn't budged, see? She's on foot, I presume? She must be moving too fast for the cameras to track! Which direction did she go, do you have any ideas?"

"From what I could hear, she was on gravel immediately after slamming the door…it was the front door that slammed, I recognized the unique sound of the hinges…I could hear the Japanese holly bushes being disturbed as she exited past them…hmm, those are to the right of the door, meaning she is moving towards the…auxiliary side gate! Hmm, what is in that specific direction? What could be so important over by that way, the only thing even remotely near that gate is…the main guard shack!"

Satsuki's eyes darted to the wall clock: it was half past eleven. Chief of Security Kinagase Tsumugu was on duty until midnight…he was the only one scheduled to be in that security booth so late in the evening. According to his professional opinion, most illicit attempts to infiltrate an estate such as this would most likely be after dusk, so he purposely placed himself on the guard roster for the second shift. Satsuki also knew that Ryuko was well aware of this fact, since he had gleefully reported every sordid instance of the young Matoi's pathetic attempts at bumming a cigarette from him straight to the Kiryuin mistress of the house.

"She must be looking for Kinagase…but why? If he discovers that she's in danger of being taken over by her life fibers, she'll be-oh…oh, _no!_ This is _bad!_ I have to get there, right away! Inumuta! Continue to observe the cameras and audio feed…message me if you catch _any_ glimpse of Ryuko! I need to go there right away and find her before something truly awful happens!"

"Affirmative! Do you want me to contact the others for assistance?"

"Not at this point, no. I must deal with her alone…I believe that she might try to incapacitate or even kill anyone else that gets in her way! I am the only person who currently stands a chance of surviving close-quarters combat with her, should it come down to that. Keep in contact with me, I'll be relying upon my earpiece for further communications."

Hōka bowed low, acknowledging her orders as she opened her coat to retrieve her wireless earpiece. His eyes wandered over to catch a flash of the clothing under her coat as she did so: her shredded pants leg was observed to be saturated with large, dark patches of blood, dried fragments of battle-related rubble sticking haphazardly to the sticky, gory mess.

"My goodness! Satsuki, are you injured?" he exclaimed, suddenly worried about her mysteriously concealed physical status. She glanced down and grimaced, silently admonishing herself for allowing clues about her recent experience to be discovered.

"No, not...anymore. I _had_ been, there was a brief physical confrontation at the house, before she fled the area. Do not worry about it, it wasn't anything for you to be concerned over. We can worry about contacting the contractors later."

Inumuta's eyebrows flew up at this comment. He motioned to ask more about the details of her well-being when she quickly stuck her palm up in the air, a firm, silent signal that he was to immediately cease all further inquiries into her activities, no matter the seriousness involved.

"Try to contact Tsumugu. Make it crystal clear that he is _not_ to lay a single finger on my sister, no matter the circumstances! But do not go into any details we have discussed about her condition. I fear he'll take matters into his own vengeful hands if you do so. Understood?"

Hōka nodded, setting up his communications center as he prepared to scour the area for their intended quarry. Wireless earpiece now firmly in place, Satsuki darted out the door. He called out "Good luck, Satsuki-sama!" as she bolted towards her Mercedes. She nodded, raising one hand up in grateful acknowledgement as she entered her vehicle.

The audio feed from Satsuki's communicator sparked to life within his headset, her breath quickening slightly as she accelerated to perilous speeds on the highway onramp. "I'll need all the luck I can muster, Hōka. Because if I cannot find a way to cure Ryuko of this terrible affliction, you'll have to prepare yourself for the eventual task of neutralizing _me_ , as well. I'm going radio silent now, Inumuta. Contact me _only_ if it is critical. I'll need to fully concentrate on not running into any innocents on the road."

"V-very well, Satsuki. I'll do my best." His mind raced at the dire implications. Ryuko was now running amuck, apparently seeking a way to somehow end her existence due to her own life fibers? And now Satsuki was preparing _him_ to shoulder the responsibility of wiping her off the face of the Earth, should they fail to contain this sinister development…Hōka's life had just descended into utter chaos, and it was taking all of his concentration just to execute his commander's orders. As he busied himself by looking up Tsumugu's contact information, he drily observed to himself that being of Kiryuin blood was a curse that no one should ever have to endure.

* * *

Satsuki was just settling herself into the Zen of high-velocity highway slaloms when her earpiece buzzed. She tapped the controls, impatiently awaiting Inumuta's incoming explanation.

"Satsuki, I cannot get in touch with Kinagase! The fool keeps repeatedly refusing my incoming calls. I suspect that he might possibly be angry with my most recent remote overrides of the security system. I cannot say that this is the _first_ time he has shown immense stubbornness towards my actions in this regard, or under these circumstances. He seems to think that _he_ is in total charge of the security system, and sees my efforts as encroaching upon his 'territory'. He's being an obnoxious and petty alpha-male irritant, as usual!"

Her face darkened, with deep red anger casting a shadow upon her scowling features. _'That pompous jackass! If his actions cause Ryuko to be harmed in any way, I'll make his life a living hell!'_ Deftly dodging yet another vehicle to avoid becoming a high-speed debris field, Satsuki grunted in frustration as she answered her tech contact in a controlled, even voice.

"I'll handle it. If he ignores _my_ call, it's his career…or his _life._ I'll decide later! Keep up the surveillance, Hōka. Alert me at once if you spot her. Satsuki out." She quickly ended the call, then dialed Tsumugu's number. It beep-beeped once, twice…then a click signaled the line being picked up. She barely had a chance to draw a breath before Tsumugu's belligerent growl filled her ears.

"Tell your people to stop fucking with my security CAMERAS! This is MY job, not YOURS! Butt out and leave it to me, or _else!_ " He then immediately hung up, instantaneously triggering a white phosphorus rage explosion within the livid Kiryuin woman.

"GRAAAHH! YOU FUCKING SIMPLETON! I WILL PERSONALLY TEAR OFF YOUR STUPID _HEAD_ AND VIOLATE YOUR ARROGANT _NECK!_ " She struck the car's radio, which proceeded to explode with a glaringly brilliant firework of sparks and plastic shrapnel. Stress cracks instantly coursed across the windshield from the sudden shock, the silvery ribbons reflecting prismatic glimmers in her eyes as she gnashed her teeth with unimaginable fury. Gripping the steering wheel with ashen knuckles, Satsuki dialed his number again…only for it to go directly to voicemail this time.

Casting an angry glance at the poor sedan's mutilated dashboard, she managed to spy the current time in the somehow-still-intact LCD display. She hissed to herself a deadly mantra, ticking off the estimated minutes over and over until her arrival was imminent. "Sss _six_ bloody minutes until I commit cold-blooded _murder!_ Fff _five_ minutes until I commit premeditated _murder!_ Ffff _four_ minutes…that bloody fucking _idiot!_ Stubborn, obstinate, pig-headed thug! I'm going to enjoyyy thisssss…"

The communicator chirped in her ear. She tersely answered Hōka's call, roughly popping her tight knuckles as she did. "Satsuki? Did you manage to contact Tsumugu yet? His phone is now completely off altogether! I do possess data that precisely indicates his punctual attitude about shift changes, and I…yes, there it is! I _just_ detected his outgoing security badge swipe. His shift just ended a few brief moments ago, so you should still be able to catch him as he leaves for the evening!"

"Oh, I'm _about_ to, believe me. Stand by, Hōka. I'll get back to you in a minute."

She caught a glimpse of Tsumugu's rumbling motorcycle just then, heading the opposite way as she came charging down the long gravel driveway. Honking the horn, she abruptly cut Tsumugu off, the man being just barely fast enough to swerve away from the skidding Mercedes' glossy black hood. Satsuki violently shoved the car into park as she bolted out to catch her quarry while he was still struggling to right the bike's balance from the near-fatal incident.

"Who the fuck is— _Lady Kiryuin?!_ What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to prove just how poor of a driver you really are? I won't stand for such reckless-"

"Where IS she, you thick-skulled _moron!_ Talk, before I knock your bloody _head_ off!"

"Where is _who_ , you damned lunatic? I haven't seen anyone pass by here all night, including your precious sister! Now of course I can't speak as to recently, since your tech monkey kept screwing with my damned remote feeds! You need to tell your little pet geek boy that I-"

"What? That's impossible! Have you seen Ryuko or _not_ , Tsumugu?! She was just in this exact area! Think, you fool! It is of direst importance that I find her!"

Nonplussed, he took a drag from his cigarette before answering the uncharacteristically erratic and visibly seething Kiryuin now before him. After dealing with the likes of Kiryuin Ragyo and Harime Nui, it took a lot to rattle his battle-hardened nerves…'Little Miss Bitchface, Junior' here wasn't about to scare him off so easily.

"Perhaps you didn't hear me, Kiryuin. Like I _said_ , I haven't seen her pass by here recently. I saw something on the feeds earlier…Ryuko left the premises via the main gate just over an hour ago on her bike. What's wrong, get into yet _another_ fight with her? Don't blame _me_ if she finds you to be as much of a stick-up-the-ass bitch as _I_ do! Oh wait, or is it just because you look like a complete shit show right now? Seriously, you look as though you just-"

"You sanctimonious _asshole_. Answer my questions accurately and with great haste, or you'll find more than your _career_ to be in jeopardy!"

"What? Are you actually threatening-"

" _YES_ , YOU SHITHEEL! I _am_ threatening you! Wake the fuck _up!_ "

Satsuki's foot spun around to deliver an unbelievably powerful roundhouse kick to his motorcycle's front wheel. The impact was so violent that it flipped him right off the vehicle, arcing him through the air before finally landing in an awkward pile upon the gravel driveway. Tsumugu scrambled to his feet, hand clutching for his trusty needle gun…which Satsuki snatched away from him with frightening speed.

Eyes bulging in disbelief, he could only watch helplessly as Satsuki grasped the gun, then swiftly snapped it over her knee with a brittle crunch. Glistening bits of gun parts and loose needles cascaded from steel fists as Lady Kiryuin Satsuki stood there, illuminated from behind by the brilliant halo cast by her sedan's headlights as her darkened figure seethed in barely concealed anger. Her infuriated eyes almost seemed to be glowing in the darkness with an intense, blue aura. She spoke out, and her voice was like ground glass as she snarled orders for him to heed without further question.

"Listen up, little man. I have firm reason to believe that Ryuko was just now, _at this very moment,_ in the process of seeking you out in order to confront you for as-of-yet unknown reasons. Now I need you to think very, very carefully: do you currently carry _anything_ on your person that would be of great interest to a being such as herself? I distinctly heard her say that she wanted to obtain a 'sure-fire' way from you to…to accomplish _something,_ perhaps some task? So now I'm asking you this question, Kinagase Tsumugu: _what_ do you have on you that Ryuko could possibly need or want?"

Stunned into compliance, Tsumugu nervously rolled the filter of his crooked cigarette around his mouth, racking his nervous brain for answers. "Let me tell you two important pieces of information. There are only _two_ things I carry with me at all times, woman. One: well, it can't be my cigarettes, I've told her to fuck off and get her own for a while now! Hmm, but _somehow_ I don't think this is about her paltry nicotine fits, now is it? Two: my own special, personal…ah, _shit!_ I left my damned jacket in my locker! I was so pissed off at Inumuta's remote tampering, I left it back in the security booth. It…it has my special anti-fiber 'starch bullet' pistol in it! That's the  only other thing of note that I always carry upon my own person! Hell, in fact I _know_ that Matoi knows about it, too! Yeah, she actually asked me about it, not too long ago...if I still carried it with me 'just in case'. I told her that I did, that it wasn't anything personal, and that I just always wanted to have a fallback plan. She agreed with me that it was a good idea. In fact, she seemed somehow pleased with my answer, which surprised me a bit at the time? Yes…I specifically remember her saying to me ' _It's good to be prepared for any eventuality. You never know when disaster might strike.'_ I mean, here I am with a weapon that could end her damned half-alien life in an instant, and she was just cool as a cucumber about it! Is _that_ what this is all about, Kiryuin? You owe me a damned explanation if there's an urgent security issue unfolding here!"

Satsuki froze completely still. Mental tumblers clicked harshly into place, and a terrifying vision appeared to her as she weighed the value of this ominous discovery. "Oh, oh no… ** _no!_** My dear Ryuko-chan! Gods have mercy, _no_! _She means to end her own life with that bullet!_ Get in the car, quickly! We have to stop her at all costs!"

Bewildered, Tsumugu allowed himself to be corralled into the Mercedes by the deadly serious woman. Whatever drama was going on, the security chief needed to get to the bottom of it, post haste. He had a hunch that he wasn't going to like the results of this security investigation one bit. What kind of a fight did they _have_ , anyways?

Driving the short distance back to the guard shack like a possessed rally car driver, Satsuki brought the car to a squealing stop in front of the auxiliary side gate. The headlights illuminated a grim scene as they both exited the vehicle. The booth's door had been ripped right from their mangled hinges. Tsumugu called out cautiously to locate the third shift guard that relieved him but a few short minutes ago.

"Hey! Etsuji? Sound off, man! Come on, buddy…where _are_ you? Answer if you can hear me!" Satsuki cautiously sniffed the air, then solemnly pointed off to the left of the gate.

"Over there. He's alive, just unconscious. She must have _just_ been here…I can still detect her unique scent."

"Her _what?_ You had better be meaning her perfume or something, you crazy bird!"

"Shush! Now where is that locker? We need to determine if she found what she was looking for, or if we possibly scared her away just now!"

"It's…ah, shit. Here…there's my poor jacket. Man, she ripped right through the damned locker door to get it! But why didn't the alarms sound? There should be a damned Christmas tree of alarm lights going off in here right now? Let me see the console logs…ah well, I'll be damned. Your sister purposefully disabled _all_ the local alarms with her own security code! Kiryuin, she _planned_ all of this. I'm warning you, my buddy better not be hurt by all this drama that Ryuko has been kicking up around here!"

"She must have been here to attack you and try to take the gun for herself. It was sheer luck that you left it behind. She most likely wanted to goad you into shooting her yourself. She knew you would do it, too. But your friend here…he'd have _no_ way of knowing about that bullet's special properties, nor would he be so quick take her life in such a manner. No, it takes a _hard_ man to actually kill a person, doesn't it, Tsumugu? You've made no efforts to hide your opinions about _that_ , now have you?"

He was preparing a pithy, sarcastic response in his defense when Satsuki suddenly raised her finger to her earpiece, shushing him to be silent as she did. "Go ahead, Inumuta. Yes, she did. She found _what?_ How did she find the bike's transponder? Oh, hell. Have you another method at your disposal? You do? Can you...do such a thing? Tap into the prefecture's public camera grids…yes, do _whatever_ you have to do! I'll deal with any repercussions later. Let me know immediately if your dragnet picks her location up! Yes, I will. Thank you, Hōka. This means _so_ much to me, I cannot possibly tell you...oh! Well, that…that's _good_ to hear. No, I'm glad you said it. Everyone cares for her once they truly get to know her…she _is_ a most precious jewel, under that rough exterior of hers. Yes, thank you, my friend. Satsuki out."

She stood there quietly, trying desperately to keep her iron composure in the face of the most nightmarish reality she could possibly imagine: her beloved Ryuko was out there somewhere, seeking for a way to end her own life…and she had just managed to obtain a 'sure-fire' way of doing so. How on Earth could she possibly be saved now?

Unsure of what to do next, Tsumugu nervously cleared his throat, then murmured a declaration towards the deeply worried woman. "Lady Kiryuin, just so you are aware, I'd never even think of actually killing Matoi, unless she somehow represented a clear and present danger to…to the safety of… _wait._ Hold on just a minute! Kiryuin, is there something _sinister_ going on here that you need to admit to me?"

Glittering tears now streaming down her mask of anguished frustration, Satsuki nodded slowly as she turned to face her security chief. "Yes. I need you to _stay out of my way, or else_. You're a loose variable, and I can't afford to have any of those floating around at such a critical point in time. Not until I am able to find a way to properly contain my dear, sweet Ryuko-chan. You see, she's having a bit of a problem with her life fibers right now. They're actively trying to seize control of her mind right now, and I need to find a way to reverse that condition before something truly regrettable occurs."

Tsumugu's eyes bulged out, his pulse painfully quickening as his posture stiffened up. He could scarcely believe that this sordid admission was now pouring forth from the uncharacteristically earnest Kiryuin woman. " _What?_ Is this  really happening? But that would be a _nightmare_ scenario! Kiryuin, she could potentially infect everyone around...her… _oh my God, your_ _eyes_ -"

He never saw the punch. Her surprise ' _Unpredictable Factor Removal Strike_ ' (予測不可能な因子除去ストライキ) happened with such ferocious swiftness that he wouldn't even remember the lights being turned out until the next day. Satsuki slowly withdrew her adamantine fist, quietly pleased at the relative ease of eliminating this potential threat to her own optimistic rescue plans. The trigeminal nerve was a particularly effective 'off-switch' for unruly humans, she dutifully recalled from her early days of rigorous hand-to-hand Kyusho Jitsu instruction.

Satsuki regarded his crumpled body with clinical indifference. She briefly sniffed in Tsumugu's direction, then stared intently at his drooling face for a moment. She could sense that he would be just fine, although she didn't envy the grating concussion he would most likely have, come morning. Still, he was alive, which was a far more generous fate than the one he would have planned for her darling Ryuko.

"I won't allow you or anyone else to end her life. If it should come to that, the weight of that decision is mine _alone_ to bear. But I refuse to give up on her! She is far stronger than even _she_ knows. I just have to find a way to prove it to her…before it's too late."

* * *

Racing down the highway within her gleaming, black bullet of precision German engineering, Kiryuin Satsuki brains were also racing for ideas as she desperately searched for a way to capture her misguided sister. In order to do that, however, Ryuko had to be located first. With the bike's antitheft transmitter being unexpectedly disabled ( _how the hell did she even_ _find_ _that device, anyway?_ ), Satsuki had no real way of pinpointing her location. Hopefully Hōka could snag a glimpse of Ryuko's motorcycle on the public camera feeds before it was too late….but perhaps a keen deduction exercise might narrow her options down a bit? ' _Think like your opponent, Kiryuin...assess, analyze, and then counter!'_

"Damn it all! _Think_! Where could Ryuko possibly go? Mako's? No, she'd never endanger her life. _'This'll end the way it began, I swear!'_...that's exactly what she said. What could that possibly mean? Honnōji Academy is long gone, the mansion wouldn't even make sense…perhaps one of her old schools? No…from her perspective, everything must have gone sour at a particularly traumatic point in her life, but which one? She has so very many to choose from... _wait one second!_ When Father died...when she bonded with Senketsu...it _has_ to be!  That's when and where all this drama _truly_ 'began' for her!"

She hastily reversed directions on the highway, then quickly floored the car back up to dizzying speeds, weaving in and out of the sparse late night traffic as she formulated a tactical engagement plan. Satsuki then called up her wireless earpiece's controls: one flick of her thumb later, and Inumuta's line was dialed.

"Inumuta, are you there? Have you traced any of her movements yet?"

Inumuta gleefully reported his recent success, triumphant pride competing with urgent concern within his steady, analytical tone.

"Yes! She had been spotted by the local police just a few minutes ago, so I manipulated their communications to prevent her from being hindered by their bumbling efforts. Ah, messing with the cops like that always reminds me of my illicit youth! _*ahem*_ Anyways, I was _just_ about to report my latest tactical findings to you. According to my own observations and the pattern analysis algorithms I've been employing, I believe she is currently still traveling on Shin Ome-Kaido Highway, Route 411, moving at a rapid rate of speed in a distinctly northwest direction, towards-"

"-her old home...or at least the burned-out shell that remains there to this very day. Yes! Thank you for confirming my suspicions!"

"Er, yes? That _was_ going to be my educated guess as well. Most perceptive of you, Lady Satsuki! Shall I dispatch backup to that location?"

"Not quite. I'll need you to contact Mikisugi first. He once said that he had a plan, should this grim scenario ever manifest itself. I shall need you to immediately rendezvous with him in order to prepare his secret underground laboratory for Ryuko's containment and subsequent treatment. Tell him I said that ' _The Crosshair Initiative_ ' must be set into motion, post-haste! One way or the other, I _will_ be securing Ryuko for imminent arrival at that lab."

"Secret lab-? Ah, hmm. Interesting…very well! It shall be done. Good luck, Satsuki-sama. My prayers are with you."

"My thanks, Hōka. Tell Mikisugi to grant you full access clearance to the lab…you should be able to easily get there within fifteen minutes, it's right outside the downtown area. Start preparing the lab, then have Mikisugi meet me at Ryuko's old family residence within one hour with the 'experimental equipment' we discussed. He will know exactly what I mean. I should be at her old home in about twenty-five minutes or so. I'll know one way or the other if my gambit will pay off very soon, once I get there."

Hōka grunted his acknowledgment, then signed off. Satsuki glanced into the passenger seat of her vehicle. The Sword Scissor blade, Bakuzan Gako, and her work briefcase were all of the personal items she had the chance to grab in her hasty rush to leave the house. Other random accessories had been previously secured in the trunk…but what she had next to her in the car right now would dictate how she would approach this most delicate confrontation.

Popping the briefcase open, she took the time to blindly rifle through the case's contents until she found what she was looking for. Slipping a small cylinder into her trench coat pocket, Satsuki then briefly examined her own knitted, creased brow in the rearview mirror as she turned her attention back to the speeding road.

"I'm no gambler at heart…but I'll be _damned_ if I'm going to murder my own darling Ryuko with these blades. So I will gamble then, just this once. I'll gamble and pray…for the stakes are too high to risk otherwise. I'm going to rescue you from yourself, Ryuko… _with_ your unwitting help! You can count on that, dear heart! You will be accepting my precious gift of hope, _whether you like it or not!_ "

* * *

\- Five years later -

"What's this…oh, a gift? For me, really? Okay, okay, gimme a minute here! Hmm, now what's in here for me…hmm-hmm-hmm…lessee here, what did you do now, Silly Satsy… _*gasp*_ , oh no _way_ …Satsuki! It's beautiful! Wow, will ya look at that...it's so very pretty! Oi, what's this called again? I've seen it around in places before, but never knew what to actually call it…"

"Ah. This is an art form called 'kintsukuroi'. They use lacquer and gold to repair what was once broken, in this case a decorative bowl. Some might say that it is ' _the art of embracing damage'_ , although I might not go quite so far in describing it in that manner. Still, I read something not too long ago that just happened to resonate within my heart: ' _The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places._ ' I just couldn't help but to think of our lives together…and once I saw this particular piece in a local artist's studio, well…"

"Aw, that is so cool. Look at all that detail…I really like how the white and the gold come together right here, it's so elaborate! It was all busted up, but then someone went and made it all pretty again. Story of my life, right? You put me together again."

"Mmm…perhaps, but not quite. You are insinuating that there was a time when you weren't pretty. I would disagree with that theory."

"Uh, there were plenty of 'ugly' times. Like when I overrode your fibers? Gawd, I still feel _so_ bad about that."

"It's okay. It was a turbulent time in your life. I don't blame you for that."

"Yeah...crazy times."

"Story of our lives, dear. Well, anyways…happy anniversary, Ryuko."

"Uh…happy whaaa-aat?"

"Well, today's date happens to mark exactly seven years from that fateful day when you dared to brazenly challenge the 'Steel Queen' upon the hallowed steps of Honnōji Academy! Seven is an important number, you know. It symbolizes "togetherness". I simply wanted to acknowledge the occasion, and now I have done so."

"Oh, okay. Um…I didn't get you anything, though? I, uh…sorta wasn't really aware that _today_ was-"

"Ryuko, tell me one simple thing. Are you truly happy?"

"Am I…? Um…yes. Yes, I _am_ happy."

"That is all I needed to hear. You are happy. Thus, I am happy! I have need of nothing else!"

"Aw…all right. I'll getcha back someday, though! Man, this bowl is so darned pretty. Thank you _so_ much, Satsuki-sama! Hmm…? Oi! I gotta question for ya, then. So you said some people call this kintsukuroi stuff ' _the art of embracing damage'_ , right? So now I'm wonderin' what ' _the art of_ _causing_ _damage_ ' would be called, eh? I'll bet someone broke this bowl on purpose, just to spiff the cracks up all pretty and shiny afterwards? If that's true, then even I could be an artist! Ha-ha! I can bust just about anything!"

"Oh, well then you'll be interested to know that there _is_ actually a phrase for that… _'the art of destruction_ '? It's known as 'ryukomatoi'."

"…har, har. You _kill_ me, Sats."

"Ah. Once upon a time, dear heart…I almost did."

* * *

\- Present day -

The Mercedes rolled silently into the former Matoi Estate's weed-encrusted, overgrown driveway. Headlights were extinguished for the last kilometer or so, although Satsuki didn't really think that would gain her much of a tactical advantage. She had only been at this location a scant few times herself, whereas Ryuko probably knew the place like the back of her fist. That, plus she was tracking an entity that had far more experience with her enhanced abilities; as a newly minted fiber hybrid, Satsuki was still adjusting to the bewildering array of input from her own set of overwhelmingly hyper-tuned senses.

They had their uses, however: Satsuki could smell the faint hydrocarbon composition of gasoline engine exhaust and visually sense the residual heat trail from a motorcycle that had only just recently entered the property. Hmm…three guesses weren't going to be required to narrow down this list of suspects, now were they? She didn't see the bike itself, but she could clearly hear the far off tick-tick-ticking of its cooling engine, secreted somewhere behind the building itself. Still, that was over a hundred yards away. Had she the time to think about it, Satsuki would have been duly impressed by this marvelous acuity.

She brought the car to a stop once she was within sight of the building's remaining frame. Coal black timbers and charred stone cross frames created the chilling illusion of an alien skeleton, its haunted framework seeming to reach up towards the sky in a failed effort to appease long-dead gods.

Satsuki eyed the two specialized combat blades in the passenger seat as she prepared to get out of the vehicle. She brushed fingertips over the Scissor Blade's cold, glossy surface, admired the onyx perfection of her own Bakuzan Gako…then resolutely shook her head as she got out of the car.

' _No. I will_ _not_ _seek to use these against her. This is a rescue mission, not a seek-and-destroy operation! Only death would surely result from the use of these anti-fiber tools in conjunction with one another. I will need to utilize other methods in order to bring her in_. _I_ _will_ _take her alive. I simply must!'_

Satsuki quietly approached the burnt-out shell on foot, reaching out with every sense she could possibly employ. Visually, there was nothing of note to detect; other than gently waving grasses and passing clouds, nothing really stood out to draw her attention. She delicately drew in air through her nose, and a chaotic bouquet flooded her with clashing scents…various types of flower and tree pollen, acrid charcoal, motorcycle exhaust and oil…but the unmistakable scent of fresh blood was blessedly missing from this mix. There _were_ traces of old blood, most likely left over from their earlier confrontation. That was to be expected, of course.

That didn't really prove anything, though. The wind was moving somewhat diagonally to her current position, and Satsuki observed that a better catch pool of scents could potentially be found somewhere…hmm, southwest of the house. It would take precious time to move into that tactical position, though. Ryuko just _had_ to be where the memories dwelled…somewhere, deep inside those dark ruins.

Satsuki's fiber-enhanced hearing…now _this_ is what turned out to be the most valuable asset on this chilly evening. The tapestry of localized sound was closely examined by the shrewd Kiryuin tactician. She closed her eyes, then sought to separate out the rustling of grass blades, leaves and branches, the occasional insect skitter, the dry tick of cooling engine blocks, the creak of old timbers, the slight scuff of a rubber sneaker against sandy debris, a quiet, muffled gasp, the quickening pulse of a panicking heart…ah, _there_.

Zeroing in on her target's position, Satsuki calmly approached the house's main alcove. She made no effort to be stealthy about it, since it was just as likely that Ryuko could now hear her own beating heart as well. The question in her mind now was if Ryuko would _listen_ to her heart, too.

Entering through the main hall's empty, door-less frame, she then sniffed at the stale air, pushing past the harsh charcoal and mold scents to detect…fresh sweat and old blood…from somewhere up above her. _*sniff*_ Leather. Denim. Cotton. Rubber. Strawberry hair conditioner. She listened, and could hear that the heart was beating faster now, and she could just barely make out the nervous swallowing of saliva. Murmuring in a hushed tone, Satsuki quietly let slip an impassioned plea from her pursed lips.

"Matoi Ryuko. Please…come out and talk to me, dear heart. I know you can hear me, hiding up there in the dark."

Time stood still for one brief, solitary moment. Satsuki reached out with keen senses and steadfast hope, searching for a single voice, that most desired connection. Her breath was laboriously held, then quietly released as a slow, rushing sigh was finally surrendered from her beloved quarry.

" _*sigh*_ …aw, damn it."

Glowing crimson eyes suddenly appeared from across her current position, up around where the second floor once stood. Satsuki felt herself being intensely observed as she slowly opened her own trench coat to reveal that she had in fact arrived at the house unarmed. Hands stuffed deep into her jacket's pockets, Ryuko looked down upon her sister with a sad, haunted expression as she slowly stepped out into the pale moonlight.

"How the _fuck_ did you manage to find me so fast? I killed that damned tracking device thing…"

"Let's just say that I know you all too well, Ryuko-chan. Please, come down from there so we can talk. I have found a potential way to deal with-"

"Damn it, _no!_ I simply cannot take that chance! This is…this _is_ the worst-case scenario, Satsuki! Ain't no time fer gamblin', and I _know_ Kiryuin Satsuki ain't no gambler, either! Stakes are way too damned high for that now!"

"You'd be surprised, my love. So, what exactly do you intend to accomplish here, Ryuko? This forlorn place now only reeks of charred dreams and death."

"Oh, like you somehow can't tell by now? I _know_ you know why I came here, I ain't that dumb! Look…if I die, then the whole world is saved! My particular kind of life fibers, they _need_ a mate in order to actually breed…and you're the only other being that could possibly make that happen! I can't possibly bear the idea of killing _you_ , and I'm pretty damned sure you're more than strong enough to handle this…horrible _shit_ that I somehow managed to inflict upon you! I mean…look at you, you're _made_ of self-control! And me? I'm the picture they use for 'impulsiveness' in the fuckin' dictionary! I can't be trusted, not with these… _fucking_ things chiseling away at my dammed willpower! I won't let them _win_ , Satsuki! Listen…I'm sorry for a lot of the things I've done in my life…b-but by far I am sorriest for what I did to you. You were _so_ right about me, what you said earlier. I'm worse than Ragyo…and I deserve far worse, too. What I did, it was just… _unforgiveable,_ Satsuki-sama! I…I raped your _humanity_. Even she didn't go _that_ far!"

Ryuko quickly wiped away the tears that were now pouring freely down her tired, gaunt cheeks. She shakily motioned towards the base of a still-standing column, off to Satsuki's right. Low down upon the column was a gaping hole in the wall; an ominous gash that marked where her father's body was once fatally pinned by the fiber weapon of his own creation.

"So, the reason I came _here_ is...I…I came here to say goodbye to Daddy, okay? I wanted him to see that I was a _good_ girl, in the end. I need him to see that his little girl finally did what was right for once!"

Satsuki followed the outstretched finger, focusing upon the column in question. She steadied herself as she made out the outline of an odd, ethereal energy pattern in that inky darkness…she blinked, and it was gone. A trick of the moonlight, of course. She was…fairly certain, anyways. Who knew what kinds of strange electromagnetic energy anomalies might now be sensed by her fiber-laced body?

"Ryuko, you cannot seek to blame yourself for actions that were obviously beyond your control! I don't blame you for _any_ of this, I need you to understand that! I know for a fact you would never seek to cause me intentional harm! That was all due to the damned life fiber manipulation; controlling and enslaving your soul, forcing you to do the unthinkable! Besides, Father's remains were moved to a proper temple…I _know_ that you know this! You and I, we made those burial arrangements _together!_ Don't you remember that?"

Ryuko's eyelids performed a long slow blink, then fluttered open to allow tired eyes to focus upon the area where he died. She could still make it out in her mind's eye, the blunt stump of mansion wall and hulking black char that marked her most vivid memories. That gaping scar in the wall, where a Scissor Blade once viciously cleaved through body and bone, love and hope.

Ryuko cast her crimson eyes up to the nearly full moon. She could almost see the escaping assassin's figure now…wait, _was_ there a moon out, that night? Funny how she could recall certain parts of it with stunning clarity, yet couldn't recall if the moon was out at the time of her father's demise. She almost caught herself asking Satsuki if she could remember that fact as she spirited herself away from the murder scene…then rubbed her pounding temple as she realized that it was actually _Harime Nui_ who escaped her wrath that day. _'Shit. Getting harder to think again…damn it, not m-much time left now!'_

"I m-meant to say to his spirit. It still haunts the place where he died. I c'n sense it, ya know...the energy _is_ here, I just know it! I come here sometimes, to try to talk to it. Never works, but still…I've _tried!_ Why do ya think I never had this joint demolished, huh? Been here a lot recently, actually….looking for answers, searching fer a way out of this nightmare…but there ain't a way out. I _need_ to die, for the sake of my loved ones and everyone else in this world. I deserve to be cast down, into that abyss for all eternity. S' what I get fer bein' such a dumbass and letting these evil fucking threads weave their way into my stupid soul! I'm fallin' down there one more time, Sats...into the lab, into the pit…and you ain't gettin' in my way. I'm a damned planet-killer now, Satsuki...I can kill _planets!_ You get in my way now, you're just aiding and abetting global annihilation! Don't let your own personal feelings get in the way of what _has_ to be done! I'm begging you…please don't let Dad's death ultimately be in vain…o-or mine, fer that matter?"

Tears now trickling down her own face as well, Satsuki pleaded to her, arms wide open in loving concern. "Please, I beg of you…do _not_ go down into that hole! There's nothing down there in the basement for you…for  us, anymore!"

Ryuko jumped down from the top of the alcove, kicking up a dark cloud of ashes and dust as she impacted upon the hallway's charred, moldy carpeting. Eyes never leaving Satsuki's tense form, she walked up to the edge of the lab's former trapdoor entrance, now a gaping maw of doom and desolation.

"I know, that's why I came here. Memories need to be put to rest...and so do I. I couldn't live with myself if I end up causing all the pain and misery that these damned murder threads want to inflict upon humanity! I ain't goin' down with _that_ kind of shit on my conscience, Satsuki! Dad couldn't live with that thought being on his conscience, and now I know _exactly_ how he felt."

Satsuki spoke out, her voice low and husky as she dug up painful memories for a verbal autopsy. "I do know how you feel, Ryuko-san. I have been responsible for the deaths of many. My guilt has been a terrible burden to me. Yes, sacrifices had to be made, and I will always wonder if I could not have found better ways to handle those situations...but ending my life would have made it all to be in vain! I work for the common good now, as part of my penance...I am driven to do good things in an attempt to tip the scales back again! There _is_ a way back from this, I promise you...you just have to trust me!"

Ryuko snarled, angered by the weak emotional feint so callously employed by her sister. "You don't know, Kiryuin! I _want_ to kill people, I have this overwhelming urge to be ultra-aggressive towards humans! My anger's just a side effect of the stress of me tryin' to hold it back, this terrible urge! Now I'm just _looking_ for an excuse to cut loose and hurt people, to slaughterrr...rr _rrR_ _ **RRR**_ _Rrr_ rr _really_ bleed them out to sate the _nnn_ -need, I just…need the blood! I don't understand why, but only _monsters_ require blood like that!"

Satsuki shouted towards her sister's trembling form, heated emotions flashing out like a solar flare. "You mean like Senketsu? Was _he_ a monster, Ryuko?"

Ryuko grinned ever so slightly, a momentary glimmer of fondness coursing over her grim countenance. "He was...different. Satsuki, he was a beautiful, blessed anomaly! His need for blood was a means to an end for him, it's simply how he was _made_. He couldn't help how he was fueled, and he _never_ harbored the desire to slaughter his hosts! But he's dead now, and I hope I'll be lucky enough to reunite with him again someday."

The slightest motion forward, and Satsuki immediately regretted it as Ryuko jerkily motioned within her jacket's inside pocket. An ominous bulge was protruding from inside, and it was quite obvious that whatever it was had been pointed inwards, towards her own chest. Satsuki froze on the spot, panic scratching at her heart's walls as she slowly raised her palms outward in silent, begrudging acquiescence. Ryuko's wildly aggressive grimace tensed, then slowly melted into a pool of watery regret as she teetered precariously on the edge of both the black underground pit and her own crumbling sanity.

"I hear it takes a stake to the heart, to put down such a blood-hungry ghoul…and I _have_ that stake now. I don't want to hurt anyone! I need to ensure the future of everyone I love, I just _have to_! They've all suffered enough from this curse, everyone I know! We talked it over, worked it out...there's no other way."

"Talked it over with _who,_ Ryuko-chan _?_ Certainly not with me!"

"Well, with Sen-...aw, it doesn't matter now, anyways. In a way, I'm actually kinda sorry you made it here. I mean, it's really, really nice to see you again, you're such a brilliantly beautiful sight for sore eyes right now! But...I didn't want you to _see_ me like this, either. _You can't stop me, nee-san_. So with that being said…I really, _really_ wish you'd look away for this part? Please, Satsuki-sama? Haven't I already caused you enough nightmares, seeing the stuff I've gone and done? I don't want you remembering the details of what's going to happen next. Please…just look away."

The gleaming starch bullet pistol was then finally pulled out from inside Ryuko's jacket. Satsuki's starry eyes flared wide open as she focused sharply upon the shiny weapon. The stubby barrel was now firmly nestled between Ryuko's ample breasts, knowingly leveled slightly to the left…right towards the throbbing fiber engine that was so painfully hammering away, deep within her chest. Ryuko was obviously taking no chances…she knew precisely what she was doing. To fire such a specifically designed bullet directly into her own fibrous heart could only spell certain and instantaneous death.

Ryuko found herself suddenly thinking of her exhilarating jaunt up into low-Earth orbit, equipped with the unimaginable power of Senketsu Kisaragi as her faithful comrade-in-armor. She recalled it with chilling clarity; the exact moment when Kiryuin Ragyo defiantly chose to end her life right in front of her own daughter. At the time, she simply couldn't fathom the idea that anyone would choose to just…end it all like that? It was an utterly alien concept to her, to _give up_ on living life itself…and it haunted her deepest, darkest thoughts for a long time afterwards.

Now, though…Matoi Ryuko felt as though she could indeed finally grasp such a concept. No longer alien in nature, it seemed somehow…natural. An end, borne not of self-aggrandizing, bitter resentment, but out of a keen desire to honor the preciousness of humanity's fragile future.

Ryuko knew now that she had to willingly surrender life's sweet embrace, in order to selflessly ensure that her loved ones could hold onto theirs. Just one little squeeze of the trigger, just _one_ …and Ryuko could honor the cherished terms of her unspoken covenant; a true hero's solemn vow to protect all, regardless of personal cost. One single, miserable life, offered in trade for the guaranteed safety of _billions_? How could she _not?_

"I always hoped we'd be together forever, Satsuki-sama. Well, forever just got a lot shorter than I expected, I guess."

"Ryuko! I will _not_ let you do this!"

Their eyes locked together once more: ever-widening panic met with calm, tranquil melancholy. Satsuki carefully gauged the distance between them to be about…ten meters or so, calculated the time she might have had…even with her fiber-enhanced speed, there was no way in hell to close the distance quickly enough; to wrest the gun from Ryuko's iron grasp before that accursed starch bullet exploded her fiber heart into nullified shreds. If this catastrophe was to be prevented, it had to be with surgically precise tactics, not with the wishful speed of whispered prayers.

"No other choice here, Satsuki…no choice. Sorry it turned out this way. You've always said how strong I was…well, being strong sometimes means being able to let go. Dying won't be the hardest thing I've ever done…that would be saying g-goodbye to _you_. I just wanna thank you from the bottom of my soul for loving me…at least someone actually did, even fully knowing what I  really am, deep inside. _You truly are the greatest thing that ever happened to me_. I love you, onee-sama. Goodbye."

 _"_ Ryuko-chan! _Please…_ _ **NO!**_ _"_

She squeezed the trigger.


	16. - Fallout -

\- Fallout -

* * *

 _'Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.'_

\- Aristotle

 _''Tis not where we lie, but whence we fell; the loss of heaven's the greatest pain in hell.'_

\- Pedro Calderon de la Barca

* * *

\- Five years later –

"Jun? What's wrong, sweet pea? Are you crying?"

" _*sniff*_ Mama! I'm s-scared of the dark! There's _*sniff* monsters_ there!"

"Uh-ohhh. Hmm, that means it's time for a bedtime story! C'mere, angel. Let's talk about the dark."

"O-okay. Are you going to be brave and beat up the monsters for me?"

"Well, I don't think it'll be necessary. You are brave girl, too! Ya just don't know it yet. Here we go now, grab Samurai Bear, and he'll be yer escort and protect ya during the story, okay?"

"Um…uh-huh. I got him…"

"Okay. Now this is a tale from a long time ago. It's the story of a _rōnin…_ a drifter with no place to call home. She was a really brave warrior, and she was determined to set things right for the people throughout all her homeland."

"Was she pretty?"

"Yeah, she was pretty darned cute, all things considered. But what was really important was that she was an _amazing_ fighter. As tough as they come! But some really bad stuff happened in her life, events that she had no control over, and she ended up being kicked out of her very own home at a really young age! Yeah, she was forced to leave her family and travel the world alone, looking for answers to what happened and a way to make things right again."

"That's sad, Mama. It's not fair!"

"No, it wasn't…but life ain't fair, sometimes. So what happened was that this big dragon took over the whole family. It was a big white dragon with rainbow scales! And it was _so_ strong, no one could do anything about it. Now you might think it was the good guy, being all made of rainbows and white light and such…but it was really as bad as they come! It hurt lots and lots of people, and everybody was sad that such a big bully ruined such a nice family and made everything suck for everyone. It even hurt its  own family members, like _all_ the time! It was _super_ awful."

"I don't like that dragon. Why was it so mean?"

"Well, its soul was just _so_ rotten. Even though it looked pretty on the outside, it was all darkness and evil on the inside. So the rōnin eventually came back to fix things, when she finally figured out all of the bad stuff that happened to make things so terrible for everyone she loved. So she set out to defeat the evil rainbow dragon! But she just wasn't strong enough. The white dragon was _so_ super powerful! So the rōnin had to put on a very special set of armor. It was a magic suit that made her into a dragon herself!"

"Whoooaaa!"

"I know, right? So she had to turn into a dragon just to fight one, and she looked really mean and scary. She became this huge red and black _blood dragon_ , so she could take on the bad white rainbow dragon. _Raarrgh!_ Now she couldn't do this alone, ya see. The princess of the castle had to come out and help the poor rōnin. The princess was the _only_ one who knew the truth all about that bad rainbow dragon's plans, so she had to be sneaky and go behind the dragon's back, or else that evil lizard would just beat her up too! So when that red and black dragon appeared, everybody around her saw this big, scary beast of darkness! They were all too scared to help make things right. But the princess… _she_ was smart enough to look past the scariness and see the rōnin's true form. She knew that the rōnin was really good inside and wasn't evil or scary, like everyone else had assumed. Together, they defeated the evil dragon forever! The princess gave the rōnin back her true home again, and they all lived happily ever after!

"Wow…that's awesome! The princess was really smart, right?"

"Oh yeah, she was the smartest princess _ever_ _!_ She always wanted to get rid of the bad dragon, but she couldn't do it alone. But thanks to the brave rōnin, she didn't have to be alone in her fight anymore. Being alone is the worst, and I'll bet ya just might think that yer all alone, here in this bedroom. But it just ain't true! Jun, you will _never_ be alone."

"Whoa…I can't wait until I'm old, so I can be brave all the time like you."

"Oh yeah? What would 'old' be to you, huh?"

"Um…seven!"

"Seven is _old_ now? Wow, wait until I tell everybody else about that! That makes me positively ancient! I'm almost _twenty-five!_ Does that make me 'old' now, Jun?"

"Uh-huh. That's why I don't wanna be a little kid anymore…I wanna be more like you, Mama. Because you're the bravest!"

"Okay. But before you can escape the 'youth' of being six-"

"I'm six and a half now!"

"Oh, I know. But for now, here you are stuck at six and a _half_ years old, and ya gotta get some sleep. So now _you_ can be the smart princess, and Samurai Bear here can be the rōnin to help you, okay? Do you know how tough Samurai Bear is, Jun? He's sooo tough, he can even chase away _Mommy Satsuki's_ bad dreams! That's why we have him protecting you."

" _*gasp*_ Mamasassy has bad _dreams_? No way! She's the bravest Mommy ever!"

"Well ya see, now that's the thing, Princess Cuddlebug…everybody has bad dreams sometimes, and everybody has to be eventually brave and beat them. Even her, and even me. But there's no monster out there that can't be beaten with love. She loves you and I love you, and Samurai Bear here loves you! With a team like that, you just can't lose!"

"Does Uncle Soroi love me, too?"

"Of _course_ he does! Everybody loves you, 'cause yer just the cutest little girl _ever_! Aunty Mako and Uncle Ira and everybody who comes over to see you all love you to bits! It's because yer so brave and awesome! Everybody wants to meet the girl that can defeat her own bad dreams! Can ya do it, my little Jun Bug?"

"I can do it! I have my roamin' bear, he'll protect me!"

"Well, it's actually ' _rōnin'_...but that's right! Because sometimes…sometimes the _darkness_ is the real hero, so there's no need to be scared of it. Just like the smart princess, lookin' at that red and black dragon, sometimes ya gotta look a little deeper to see what's really goin' on. There aren't any monsters living around here, sweetie. They're just too scared of _us_ , a family made of the bravest girls ever!"

"Thank you, Mamayuko. I'm sorry I was a bad girl."

"Aw, no way is that true, cutie! You weren't bein' bad at all, 'kay? It's okay to be scared sometimes, that's totally normal! But ya don't wanna be afraid _all_ the time, so sometimes it's better to try to be brave, then you'll see that there was really nothing to be afraid of, after all!"

"Okay! I'll be brave now!"

"Besides, without the darkness you wouldn't be able to see fireflies!"

"Oooh, I like fireflies…"

"I know ya do! They are super pretty and bright…just like you, my little 'Glowy Butt'!"

"Mama! My bum doesn't _glow! Hmph!_ "

"Oi, maybe not, but what if maybe…it did? Maybe sometimes it does, when ya ain't lookin'? Wouldn't that be so silly?"

"Yes. That _is_ silly. People butts _don't_ glow. Only bug butts do that."

"Okay, ya got me. You are just too smart sometimes, my clever little princess."

"I'll be brave now, I promise."

"I know. Get some sleep, my beautiful princess. I love you."

"I love you too, Mamayuko."

"Okay…lights out…hmm–hmm-hmmmmm…dum ta dum…aaand, ta-daah!"

"Welcome back. Is she all right?"

"Oh, sure. Just a lesson in handling the big, bad darkness, that's all. I think she'll be all right. I got Samurai Bear on the case. Oh yeah, and apparently we are both 'old' now, according to her? Congratulations to both of us for making it to 'old age', I guess."

"Ah yes, so I heard. That was a masterfully told fairy tale, I must say! One thing to remember though, in regards to your story…I'm the dragon here, not you."

"Wrong, Sats, That was part of the Kiryuin name. You _ain't_ a Kiryuin anymore. _Now_ you are just a plain old princess! Sorry about the demotion from being 'Queen Steel Britches'."

"Hmm. I see. Oh, very well. I suppose I shan't argue with that logic. I am glad you got up before me. You have a talent for empathy that I cannot hope to match."

"Nonsense! You just gotta loosen up, is all. C'mere, I'll show ya juuust how to do that…"

"Not now, Ryuko. Jun might still be awake!"

"Naw, she's out like a light. Come on. I'll just scootch over there…"

"I won't let you."

"Aw, seriously? Come on, look deep into my eyes and tell me it would be so bad, huh?"

" _*tsk*_ …you are incorrigible."

"So…corridge me, then."

"I won't let you bait me."

"Aw. I'll be sad."

"Then _be_ sad."

"I'm sad now."

"Fine…I don't-oh, _stop_ it with that look."

"Can't. You let me be all sad. I shall now fall deep into a deeeeep pit of deepest Satsuki-caused woe and misery…"

"*sigh* Well, now. I suppose I can't let you do that, either…no falling into dark pits on _my_ watch."

"Heh…no. No, you cannot allow that. So save me, Princess Satsuki! Save me… _again_."

* * *

\- Present day -

"Ryuko! I will _not_ let you do this!"

"No other choice here, Satsuki…no choice. Sorry it turned out this way. You've always said how strong I was…well, being strong sometimes means being able to let go. Dying won't be the hardest thing I've ever done…that would be saying g-goodbye to _you_. I just wanna thank you from the bottom of my soul for loving me…at least someone actually did, even fully knowing what I  really am, deep inside. _You truly are the greatest thing that ever happened to me_. I love you, onee-sama. Goodbye."

 _"_ Ryuko-chan! _Please…_ _ **NO!**_ _"_

She squeezed the trigger.

Satsuki's instantaneous response could have been measured in milliseconds. " _Ki!_ " she screamed as her daring sabotage scheme was immediately set into hypersonic motion.

Satsuki hurled the glass ampule within her coat pocket with a hyperfast pitch of unbelievable speed and precision. Streaking across the hall, it glimmered briefly before impacting squarely upon the falling hammer of the pistol clenched in Ryuko's hand.

Shattering, it spread out a starburst cloud of glittering powder across her torso, the likes of which could have been mistaken for a dash of the darkest chalk. The properties of this substance were rather unique, in that the molecules triggered an unstoppable reaction upon making contact with certain metallic materials. It was created, much like many other inventions, completely by accident and while actually aiming for the opposite effect.

A revolutionary dry lubricant was the focus of these material research experiments: analysis of this particular compound pointed towards that possibility, but the actual outcome was considered to be a massive failure at the time. Upon contact with metal objects, it irrevocably friction-welded them together, permanently compelling any mated surfaces together with hardly any heat or other dangerous side-effects.

The caveat to this was that it was an instantaneous reaction. No last second positioning of parts was possible: once the powder contacted the metal's surface, it reacted and became something of a momentary superfluid, immediately coating the entirety of all the juxtaposed surfaces with a mere atoms-thick bond…that happened to become near-indestructible in the process. That was the other issue, that _all_ surfaces were affected: one could not choose to apply it to just one particular piece. The entire device, every separate mechanical piece in the device was wholly coated through adjoining contact as an unavoidable repercussion of this lightning-quick chemical event.

This is what happened now: the pistol's intricate moving parts were transubstantiated into a solid block of useless steel in the blink of a hybrid's eye. Satsuki had gambled with all her valiant heart that the test sample would work precisely as intended, and it did so with miraculous results. The irony of the situation was that Ryuko was being saved by a creation made with her own help, and derived from her very own body.

The Kiryuin warrior crossed over the gaping chasm in a blindingly quick display of speed and tactical prowess, taking deft advantage of the confusion that followed. Eyes tightly clamped shut, Ryuko was still vainly squeezing the gun's trigger, expecting her heart to be either bloodily perforated or violently detonated, she wasn't quite sure which. A kinetic wrecking-balled fist crashed into her forehead, dazing the stunned hybrid back from the overwhelming blow as the gun dropped to the ground.

Satsuki paused ever so briefly to utter a quiet exclamation before she initiated the next brutal steps of her daring disarmament procedure; her voice was low and her chest ached as she whispered delicately towards Ryuko's quivering torso. "I need to pound some sense into you, dear heart. For this, I apologize."

A sharp, whipping blow to the auricularis magnus nerve under Ryuko's ear was employed, immediately disrupting the flow of her consciousness. A devastating knife hand to the carotid artery then changed its blood flow dynamics with surgical precision, causing a sudden, precipitous drop in blood pressure within Ryuko's fevered brain. The young girl just hovered there, as though no one had thought to inform her body that gravity was about to win this one.

Finally, a crushing _hasami-zuki_ strike was relentlessly deployed to both sides of Ryuko's chest, the force of the vicious scissor punch taking with it the last shred of fight left within the confused girl. Knocked out cold, Ryuko was propelled backwards before violently impacting the cold, crusty ground with a sickening * _thud*_ as a rushing cloud of darkness took over her distraught mind.

These moves could never be employed upon a normal human with such devastating power, Satsuki grimly pondered, as they would most certainly lead to permanent incapacitation and possibly even immediate death…but Ryuko was no normal person. Satsuki had to go all out for her, so mercy was withheld in favor of brutally cold efficiency. She was hoping that these attacks would not trigger the wrathful vengeance of Ryuko's autonomous life fibers, embedded deep within the lovely girl's compact frame. She had calculated that, based upon her previous experiences, they would seek to rise up and externally defend their host only if truly life-threatening force had been implemented….otherwise they would have most certainly emerged to snuff out Satsuki's life a dozen times over by now. For hidden life fibers to willingly break free of their fleshy hybrid cover, circumstances would have to be quite dire, indeed.

Immensely relieved at this resolution, Satsuki then quietly reflected upon the fact that, had she reacted the way her younger self would have, to defeat the young hybrid in personal combat by using her arsenal of fiber-nullifying blades? They might both be very dead right about now. Ryuko's fibers would have most likely reacted in a most unfavorable manner to any sort of truly horrific or traumatic penetration, and Satsuki might have been sliced to ribbons herself as a result. Hmm…how would her _own_ fibers react to such terrible trauma, anyways? Might they potentially harbor the same automatic, life-preserving tactics…? Better to not ponder the ramifications of that right now, though. That's the kind of stuff that could keep one awake at night, long after they desired sleep to take them.

Primary objective now miraculously achieved, Satsuki then fiddled with her earpiece and hastily dialed one of the emergency contacts. She steadied her breathing as the line was picked up. "Mikisugi! Report! Current E.T.A.?"

"I am almost there, Lady Satsuki. I shall arrive at your location in approximately, ah…seven minutes? The lab has been prepped for our arrival, and I now have Inumuta there, running preliminary diagnostics on the security equipment as we speak. So Ryuko _was_ at the ruins after all, as you suspected! Is she all right?"

"Affirmative. She has been secured for the moment. Did you bring the inhibitor prototype, as we discussed?"

"Indeed I did. Ah, poor, poor Ryuko-kun…I simply cannot believe that all of this ended up being necessary, after all. That girl, she is a real trouble magnet!"

"Perhaps, but we shall forgive her transgressions, regardless. I'm beginning to suspect that nothing has been her fault, since the very beginning. Do not tarry! We haven't much time before she recovers from…from what I had to do to secure her."

"I see. Arriving shortly. Mikisugi out."

Ending the call, Satsuki then gazed down upon her beloved sister's prostrate form. Retrieving the pistol, she briefly examined its action, noting the experimental fusion powder's efficacy in the field. She estimated that the hammer had been flash-welded approximately mid-fall: Ryuko had been less than a millimeter from certain death. It was a hellish gambit, but it was vastly superior to the prospect of whispering farewells to Ryuko's cooling corpse after being regrettably sliced to bits by Satsuki's blades. Her fanatical drive to possess unerring accuracy was proving to be a most welcome blessing in disguise on this chilly evening...of course, possessing massively boosted reflexes and strength were turning out to be quite useful, as well.

She reluctantly left Ryuko's still form to dart back to her vehicle in a hasty blur, rummaging in the trunk for a certain container. Hastening back to the ruins with breathtaking speed, she quickly uncapped the anti-fiber coagulant launcher she had once fortuitously hidden within the trunk as part of her 'worst-case' precautions. This substance had repeatedly been used in the past to quell the blood-frenzied Junketsu and save Lady Kiryuin Satsuki from being consumed by its maddening thirst for domination, and it worked once again to prevent disaster from befalling another being of her blood as she liberally coated Ryuko's body with the chilled vapors.

The young hybrid's limbs jerked and twitched, myoclonus animating her muscles as though a puppeteer were attempting to rouse her up from unseen heights…unfortunately, this was most likely not too far from the actual truth. Satsuki could not prevent a deep frown from overtaking her stone-cold business expression at this sight, deeply disturbing the Kiryuin warrior even as she continued to rain the anesthetic mist down upon her unconscious sibling.

"I will save you from yourself, Ryuko-chan…because you are _not_ yourself right now. This much is plainly obvious. Someday you will come to accept that fact that I will always be there to catch you when you fall… _always!_ "

* * *

\- Five years later -

The mist continued to fall, a brief summer shower that always served to refresh the park's parched grass. It started to peter out as the black sedan pulled into the parking lot, a light, billowing halo drifting down as dark clouds gave way to warm afternoon sunshine.

"Wow, the grass is all soaked! See the lights all twinkling on the blades of grass, Jun? That's real pretty, huh? Hey, now yer sure ya still wanna run around in all that mucky grass? Those sneakers will get all squishy and yucky! I don't wanna hear any complaints if ya do, all right?"

"Yes, please! I can handle a little water, Mamayuko!"

"Okay, get along then. Be careful! Don't slip and fall!"

"Uh-huh! Thank you!"

"Well now, look at her go! She's a real trooper, all right. Whoops, she fell! Aw, she's already back up again. Zoom!"

"Mmm. What else would you expect? She is fanatically dedicated to the very idea of fun and frivolity."

"Well, c'mon. That's the best way to be!"

"I suppose that is true. You would know."

"Aw, you _know_ it. What about you? Be a real shame to get your nice work skirt all muddy. You gonna stay in the car?"

"I can handle a little water, 'Mama Ryuko'."

"Oooh, is _that_ how it is, 'Mama _Sassy_ '?"

"That is not how she pronounces it."

"Yeah, but I _like_ calling you 'Mama Sassy', though. It fits you so damned well."

"Oh, please. You are the very spirit of sass! Not I, you sarcastic wench."

"Umm…you might be better at hiding it, but just because you always flaunt the deadpan attitude doesn't mean I can't detect the underlying sarcasm lurking underneath it."

Satsuki reached over and covered Ryuko's hand with her own, gently squeezing as they made eye contact. "I mean this most sincerely. Fuck you, Matoi."

Ryuko smirked, impish grin bringing her lips to a puckered, mischief point. "Right back atcha… _Matoi_."

Lady Matoi Satsuki sighed and rolled her eyes, swiftly opening the car door as she did. Wincing as she cracked her back, the young woman made a note to visit her chiropractor again. Some expert adjustments, along with some acupuncture, would serve to ease the ceaseless beast that writhed in her spine for a brief while. Hmm, perhaps a trip to the health spa might be in order, then? Yes, that heated stone treatment felt so very good to her scarred and tired body. Ah, that would be her gift to herself: a weekend of luxurious indulgence! Perhaps she might even let Ryuko tag along, if she promised to not snicker at the New Age music the spa always piped in.

"Oi. I'm drivin' home after this."

"You don't have to do that. I'm fine."

"It's been a long week. I got it."

"Very well. You have my thanks. I shall make it up to you."

"Oh, I _know_ you will."

They meandered over to a park bench as Jun whooped and hollered along with a small group of kids that had been corralled by their respective parents into this quiet park. Satsuki carefully wiped off the remaining moisture from the bench with a handkerchief so both ladies could sit without their crotches being liberally soaked in public for all the wrong reasons.

"Wow, look at her go. She's a real spitfire!"

"Indeed. The energy she possesses is quite stunning! It's a miracle we can ever siphon off the excess before her bedtime."

Sneakered hoofbeats signaled the arrival of an excited young magic unicorn, still out of breath from her hurried dash over to the bench. She hurriedly transformed back into a human girl while she pleaded her newest case to the mother jury.

"Can I get pigtails…? Chiba-san and Nomi-san are here, and _they_ got pigtails! Can I get them too? Pleeeease?"

Jun gathered her unruly blonde hair into two clumps, swishing the makeshift tails playfully in an effort to underline just how very cute they would be, these being the ultimate expression of playground fashion at the moment.

Satsuki blanched for a moment, haunted by the flare-up of a sudden, unpalatable memory. Her eyes looked away as she murmured her approval. "Of course, darling. We can arrange that once we get home. I'm afraid that we don't have any hair elastics to use here at the moment…"

"I can get some from Chiba-san, she has some in her-"

" _No_ , Jun. No sharing of hair accessories! You know the rules. We don't need to risk lice again, now do we?"

"No, Mamasassy…I remember…"

"Oi, cheer up, baby girl! We'll get it all together when we get home, okay? You'll have the best pigtails ever! In fact, I can even show you what _braided_ pigtails would look like!"

" _*gasp*_ Awesome! Thankyouthankyou _thankyou_ Mamayuko!"

She zoomed off, excited at the prospect of showing up the next day with braided pigtails…why, plain old pigtails were _already_ out of fashion, as far as she was concerned.

"You okay?"

"Certainly. Why do you ask?"

"I saw that look."

"It meant nothing, I assure you."

"Bullshit. You had an image of Nui flash by, just now. A little blonde girl with pigtails, haunting yer daydreams outta nowhere?"

"I-! I'm…it meant nothing. * _sigh*_ Ryuko-san, you…are quite perceptive, at times."

"S'ok, Satsuki. I can see that being a thing, growing up next to such a creepy monster."

"Yes, well…Jun is one little blonde girl that shall have the sweetest and most precious childhood. Imagine that: we adopted a half-French, half-Japanese orphan. A _happy_ blonde girl, genuinely loved by those of Kiryuin blood! Oh, the delicious irony!"

"Yeah, and soon with pigtails, too! Hey, as long as ya don't call her a 'pig in human clothing'…"

"I would do no such thing! Hush up, you snide rodent."

"Hey! That's Nonon's line! She even trademarked it, I'll have you know. You can call me 'bitch', thank you very much!"

* * *

\- Present day -

" _Bitch!_ BITCH! Let me out of this thi- _*BZZZZT*_ - _urk!-_...uhh...not going to _stand_ for this insolence! Mmmrrrr...rip your bloody thrr _RRRR_ rroats ouuuttt...damned meat puppets...hrrr..."

A glowing blue ring encircled the young hybrid's straining neck, corded tendons standing out in sharp relief as she writhed and sweated on the steel bed. Electric blue cords connected the collar to similar wrist manacles, these being attached to ankle cuffs as well. Crackling energy pulses rippled through the circuits, inhibiting Ryuko's horribly savage urges to rend human flesh at will. Rivulets of drool leaked from clenched razor canines as she hatefully glared at the figures gathered at the observation room's bulletproof window. Thick reinforced chains rattled as the fiber demon pawed weakly at the air between them, snarling and mumbling hints of horrible atrocities as she bitterly fumed.

Mikisugi rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, poring over readouts and computer monitors as they told him a most unfortunate tale. "The pulses disrupt the fibers for a brief while. Those rings and cords contain a molecular cloud of specially processed life fiber dust, manipulated and charged to polarize opposite of the ones in Ryuko. They resonate, canceling their power out and short-circuiting her in the process. It's loosely based upon the impenetrable shield that once protected the Academy's antenna. The fact that she is recovering so quickly is not a good sign, however. This situation has been building for quite some time, I'd wager...possibly even years. How she got this far without succumbing, without losing herself to this murderous chaos is surely a testament to her sheer willpower!"

Inumuta grunted as he carefully eyed the outputs from the program that modulated these nullification circuits. Satisfied by the flat plateau of energy readings, he nodded in response. "I concur. This is not a 'worst-case' scenario anymore, but it could easily turn into one again without careful management of her treatment options."

"There isn't exactly a wealth of options at our disposal, right now. There is still so much we do not know of this hybrid process…the wrong move could kill her."

Inumuta's blue lenses dropped down, eyes focusing directly onto Mikisugi's darting orbs as they scanned over the data. "What do you suggest as the most likely course of treatment, knowing what we know now?"

"Well…we're simply going to have to neutralize her fibers, once and for all. We have no other choice. I do not wish to interfere with the natural growth cycle of a mostly uncharted species, but this quite plainly is an untenable situation. This blood lust is overwhelming her! She simply cannot be trusted in such a state."

"She will not be _'neutralized'!_ Ryuko is my dearest heart, I'll not have you discussing ideas like that with such…grim finality! Gentleman, you are the best shot she has of regaining a normal life! I would ask you to please focus your considerable talents! We can get through this _if_ we can just find a workable solution!"

"Lady Satsuki, I didn't mean _'neutralize'_ in the manner you are-"

" ** _If._** "

The cold, guttural exclamation emanated from the far corner of the room. Tsumugu took a drag from his ever-present cheap cigarette, smoke wafting over him like his own personal storm cloud of foul funk. Arms crossed, with one boot propped up on the wall behind him, he observed these proceedings with a cold pit of ice in his chest. This always seemed to be his lot in life: cursed to watch people's sisters die from life fiber-related situations.

He was not happy about this at all, and his dour mood showed it. Of course, that could also have been from his recent concussion as well. With his 'first-strike' starch bullet gun now regrettably confiscated from his hybrid assassination arsenal, he could now only observe these dire proceedings with a rueful eye.

Kiryuin Satsuki drew up her full stature, seeking to take command of the situation as she saw fit. "Let me in there. I need to speak to her." Tsumugu reacted by surreptitiously reaching for his new needle gun, slung behind his right side, away from the room's main alcove.

"I do _not_ recommend this course of action. The safety of everyone here is paramount to your own fawning urges, Kiryuin. It would be best if we waited until we had her sealed up in some sort of permanent imprisonment vessel or even an incinerato- _hukk!"_

A trio of paralysis needles suddenly appeared in Tsumugu's neck, summoned as though from magic by Satsuki's deadly accurate fingers. "You are _not_ in charge, and you are also _not_ the coolest head in the room, either. I would have thought you'd have learned better the other night...you are not to even _utter_ a hint about harming my sister! I will assess her current frame of mind. I believe the inhibitor will calm her down enough for me to confirm the information regarding the how, why and when this all became a life-threatening dilemma. You, of course, would murder her at the drop of a hat, which I simply cannot allow. So take a well-deserved rest, you 'soldier of misfortune'."

"Y'r makin'…big mstake… _uhh-*_ " the soldier uttered as he slumped over, dead to the world for a while. Mikisugi sighed as he rolled his eyes, then set himself upon the task of dragging his unconscious hotheaded comrade to an adjacent room.

Inumuta released a controlled rush of air, secretly glad that the trigger-happy thug was momentarily out of his scope of interference. Such a crude tool for such a delicate operation, indeed! "I would recommend exercising extreme caution, my Lady! We don't know what might happen, so please do not allow yourself to get within striking or biting distance, regardless of her outward appearances. Those chains can only hold her because of her weakened state: do not seek to place your life in their strength alone! Please, do be proactive about this…do you wish to employ some protective fiber-resistant gear, just in case?"

"That will not be necessary. Words are the only protection I need right now, and I believe myself to be adequately equipped in that regard. But do have the anesthetic jets ready to go, in case she somehow experiences an unexpected power surge. I do not want to test the strength of that inhibitor gear mechanism… _or_ those chains. They weren't designed to hold back her kind of raw power for very long! Nor do I wish to engage her in direct combat again…I doubt this lab would survive such a confrontation."

"Very well. Opening the airlock in…"

"Hold on. Lady Satsuki, if something does occur, we might not be able to afford you the opportunity to escape! Do keep in mind that this whole facility was originally built by your father to contain Kiryuin Ragyo herself! There would be no fast or easy exit for you. We should-"

"Mikisugi, you may keep me sealed inside, should it come to that. This risk is calculated, and I know that she will _not_ kill me. She wants me for her plans, as I am the only living key to them being brought to fruition. Please trust me on this, Mikisugi. She needs me  alive."

"All right. At the first sign of trouble, I shall trigger the inhibitor gas. There's an auxiliary oxygen mask at the back of the room; use that should we have to use a prodigious amount, all right? I have yet to properly measure your new hybrid status or abilities, so that makes you the 'unknown variable' right now. I don't know exactly how that gas will affect your new physiology, so use that oxygen to minimize the effects upon your own fibers. I hope you understand?"

One firm nod, and it was settled. Satsuki swiftly moved into the airlock, pneumatic locks whooshing and thunking as the preparations were made to cross over into the captive demon's lair. Once the final atmosphere modification cycle was complete, the inner door slid open silently, granting Lady Kiryuin access to the beast quivering upon the bed.

Ryuko's eyes were squeezed shut, her head being forced back into the pillow as though she were trying to crush the life out of it by reverse headbutting it into submission. The inhibitor was keeping up, sending neutralizing waves through her body to quell the fibers' periodic attempts to take murderous control once more.

Satsuki stood there for a few moments, taking in the pitiful sight before her. She steeled herself for the coming interaction, seeking to control herself as best she could. Her breaking heart was tucked behind the cold, logical engine that had served as her guide for so very long. Perhaps it might even stay that way long enough to get through this interaction?

Ryuko eventually sensed a presence in the room, and one bright red eye eventually peeked out to confirm the feeling. Both eyes flew open once the form was identified, and she jerked back as far as the inhibitor harness would allow. "Guh-hrrr-mmnnnooo! Geddoutta here! Not gonna hurt…l-love you…hrrr- _*heff-heff*_ L-look, you ain't safe here, Sats! Fuckin' bail! Get the hell outta here! Please! I'm beggin' ya! I can't stay in the driver's seat fer long! I won't let ya get hurt! Go, like right friggin' now!"

"Mmm. Well, that's a slightly better command of your own unique language skills than before, at any rate! I'm glad. It's a sign that _you_ are in control, far more than _they_ are. Ryuko-chan, we need to talk. Apparently we needed to talk about this long ago, but you managed to somehow obfuscate this problem enough for it to become a full-blown crisis. We need to know what is going on so we can help you. Can you focus enough to talk to me about it now?"

Ryuko shivered…then nodded jerkily, deep frown notwithstanding. Her dry throat croaked out her acknowledgement, uncertain in tone. "I got s-some time, I think. It comes in waves, I guess because of this getup. I guess you took my 'rhino shock collar' idea to the next level, huh? _Good._ At least ya listened to me 'bout _that_ idea."

"In a manner of speaking. Look, is what's happening here what we suspect? That the fibers are in fact trying to permanently subjugate you into doing their bidding, so they can spread across the whole planet? Do they ever communicate directly to you?"

The tiniest nod confirmed it. "I…thought it was Senketsu at first. Y'know, me always talkin' to him in times of stress and stuff. _They used his voice!_ But…Senkets would _never_ want me to do those things! I mean…to hell with the planet, they want the whole fuckin' galaxy! I just can't find a way to shut 'em up! Sats, I might be nuttier than squirrel shit right now, but I don't wanna kill my friends, or anyone for that matter! I l-love you all so much. I'm really, really sorry I did…what I did to you, and what I was _gonna_ do to the planet. I can't take this anymore! I can't become that cold, calculating monstrous… _thing_ again! I think it forces me to see things the way Ragyo did…I  cannot become her! I just _can't!_ "

"You won't. Ryuko, please look at me."

"No, I-"

"Please, it's important."

"I…please don't hate me for this, nee-san! I'm such a coward!"

"I just need you to look into my eyes, sweetheart. Please?"

Sniffling and coughing, Ryuko slowly looked up into Satsuki's eyes, and the elder sibling was finally able to confirm what was hinted at in the high-resolution camera feed. Ryuko's gear-shaped eyes had mutated: they were now isotoxal spokes, an octagram star that gave the appearance of a jagged, cruel mouth. _Just like her own._ The points pulsed and shrank as they focused upon Satsuki's worried expression.

"Ryuko. Did you know that the shape of your pupils has changed again? They now resemble mine."

"Oh…y-yeah? Makes s-sense, considerin' the crazy stuff I can see now... _and_ smell, and hear, and sense. Oi, it's unbelievable…"

"Your senses are even _more_ acute now?"

"Sats, I can hear goddamned radio frequencies, see infrared and ultraviolet patterns…shit, I can smell pheromones and see b-blood patterns under people's skin. Not just a vein here and there… _all of it!_ I…I could sense snippets of you talking to Inumuta on the phone, that day I freaked out at you. I'm sorry, I didn't-I wasn't, ya know, eavesdropping on purpose or anything! I just…I could somehow hear it while I was out taking the gun from the guard shack? Vibrations, in the walls, or in the glass windows I think, maybe? Shit, maybe it was the actual cell phone transmission waves themselves! I don't actually _know_ how to interpret it, the stuff I can detect now. Heck, I think I even heard you take out Tsumugu that night, and I was like a friggin' half kilometer away by that point! I could heard the damned location pings from that tracking device on my motorcycle, too! That's how I found it…man, I still can't believe Inumuta touched my damned bike! Ugh! This hypersensitivity's driving me nuts! It's…uh, d-distracting me _…*cough*…_ look, I'm really scared, onee-san. I simply do not wish to deal with this incredibly vexatious situation anymore! I just have a yearning desire for something I…need."

"What, Ryuko? Tell me and I will get it for you! What do you need?"

"I need you over here, next to me. I miss your presence _so_ very much! Can you come over here and just give me a hug? I hurt inside. I feel so hollow without your touch! My heart, it aches…"

Arms opened and rattling from the inhibitors, Ryuko gestured towards the Kiryuin woman as much as the chains would allow. There was something so suddenly unnerving, about how still and placid Ryuko was acting, the gentle smile painting a billboard of pure adulation; that perfectly poised lower lip, jutting and shaking just the right way to convey a clear ' _Aren't I just_ _so_ _very pathetic right now…please love me?_ ' message.

The eyes, however…those were a predator's eyes, sizing up their prey's next move. The disconnect was subtle, but it was there…waiting for Satsuki to make one tiny mistake in judgment. The Kiryuin woman found herself shivering. She knew full well what it was like to be keenly observed by a predator, sexual or otherwise.

"I cannot do that right now, Ryuko. I truly am sorry."

"What? _Why?_ Don't you love me? I _need_ you!"

"I know. But until we can truly get this under control…"

"I _am_ under control!" Ryuko spat out, smile slowly withering as her arms started to shake.

"Yes, you are. That's the problem."

Her arms slackened, then suddenly shot out, reinforced chains snapping taut as slavering canines protruded out for blood. "Get your neck _over_ here, you snotty bitch! I need it! **_GraaaAAAaahh-_** _*BZZZZT*-hurrrkh-!_ "Another powerful wave blazed out from the inhibitor collar, stopping the crazed hybrid in her tracks. Ryuko lay there, limp and dazed while rivulets of drool escaped to patter upon her pillow. Satsuki knew how that bluff was going to play out, but it still spiked her heart with a terrible ache all the same. _'Sorry, but you can't bullshit a bullshitter, Ryuko…or whatever it was Uzu used to say, anyway...'_ She motioned silently towards the observation window, and the airlock quietly clicked open to allow her egress from the room.

* * *

"How is this happening? We need to know. Mikisugi, did any of your research come up with anything we can use?"

"I believe so! After reviewing the most recent data I obtained when I last examined Ryuko, I do have some solid theories. So…these life fibers. In general, they coax their host in the 'right' direction, to ensure that their underlying goals are met. Such is the life of this parasitical life form! Most humans lose their resistance somewhat early in life, so it was child's play for the fibers to lock in for the long term, to eventually wear them down and nudge people in a certain subtle direction. However, if the host is somehow resistant to this subtle manipulation, they will gradually increase their power over time to compensate for it. Most people capitulate to this power early on, even the most stubborn and willful...but Ryuko is not most people! For that matter…neither are you, Lady Satsuki. Your famous willpower: Ragyo, Ryuko and yourself…it was a defining genetic characteristic in you all! Now as for Ryuko...her fibers have slowly but surely been increasing their power in direct response to her own immense resolve, but she has that supercharged Kiryuin willpower in her blood...in response, they have had to grow and grow in power, making them enormously powerful as a result! They are programmed to win at all costs! They are finally catching up to overwhelming her mind now, thanks to the shocking power boost they initiated in response to when she was shot and nearly killed. We are just now witnessing the final end result of this, when the scales finally tip over in their favor."

Mikisugu pointed up towards the lab's video screen, indicating to various graphs and charts as he spoke. One handkerchief swipe across his sweaty brow later, and he continued the lecture. A chart was now highlighted by his trusty laser pointer that signified their collected data on Kiryuin Ragyo's biometric markers.

"Now, Ragyo willingly allowed this process. She lived for it, and carefully nurtured its every step...but the main reason for her immense strength was that she had a direct line to the Original Life Fiber. She received only the purest fibers, straight from the source. Ragyo worked for quite a long time to allow these life fibers to overcome her being…she was a completely willing participant! Now as you can see both here and here, Ryuko and Satsuki received genetically modified, synthetically spliced ones: these were custom tailored for their eventual reception of the ultimate kamui bonding, later in life. Little did Soichiro know that his genetic tampering was modifying the fibers to be more receptive of absorbing the host's human genetic characteristics, as well! It was a two-way street, in that case. But about _those_ fibers: they were designed to only to unleash their  fullest potential when the host was bonded with a purebred kamui, such as Junketsu...Ragyo wanted to make sure that her 'chosen one' was primed to be the ultimate obedient servant before she bestowed truly godlike power upon another soul, lest they potentially rival her in sheer power! You, Satsuki, were purposefully groomed for this position...those horrible _-ah-_ 'purification rituals' you were regrettably forced to endure were designed to align your body and mind to accept Junketsu's permanent fusion...by way of lessening that amazingly strong genetic resistance of yours to the fibers! It was Ragyo's idea of a shortcut, you see: she wasn't going to wait another decade for you to bend, so she…prematurely forced things along. Ah… _*ahem*_ …now that I know what I _didn't_ know before...I believe that if you had actually surrendered and given yourself completely over to Junketsu in the end, it would have been able to eventually tap into your latent fibers and fully awaken them anyways, as Ryuko has now apparently done! One can only imagine what 'Junketsu Kisaragi' would have been like to behold, in that case! "

He stopped to sip from a water bottle, to quell the dryness of his parched, nervous throat…then picked up his laser pointer again. It darted out a beam to illuminate one graph in particular, shaking ever-so-slightly in urgent haste as he pointed out Ryuko's development over time.

"Now we look here. Ryuko was also groomed, but in a different manner altogether. Dr. Matoi had developed an inhibitor therapy process early on, to ease Ryuko's naturally rising fiber power access. It eventually served as the base formula for the fiber-nulling anesthetic gas, as well as the paralysis needle bullets to a lesser extent. It was quite necessary, since as you can see here, she was already kicking everyone's ass as a wee child! So he purposely held back her naturally growing power, since he specifically wanted Ryuko to be bonded with Senketsu at the time of _his_ choosing and not a moment before. He didn't just want to unleash a full-power Ryuko upon her mother's empire with unpredictable results: he designed Senketsu to act as the ultimate failsafe, betting that the close, loving bond they would share could override anything Ragyo would attempt to throw her way. Dr. Matoi knew that she would grow up to experience a lonely, anguished childhood, he…he orchestrated it to be that way in order to then present her with Senketsu: the greatest specifically-tailored best friend a lonely girl could ever want!"

Satsuki piped up just then, arms crossed as she pointed a single, accusatory finger at Aikuro's chest. "Suppose that plan failed…what then? It was only by sheer chance that Senketsu was even discovered by Ryuko in that basement at all, since Father had been unexpectedly murdered before he could properly oversee that part of the deal! He could have been buried there forever under all of that lab's discarded rubble. I find it hard to believe that Father would not have such a backup plan in place, given his penchant for precise planning."

Mikisugi paused, nervously considering the path of the lie or the truth: either could earn him a sudden evisceration by the lethal elder Kiryuin sibling. Being as on the spot as he was, he sighed and bared his naked self for all to see.

"I was that backup plan. In that eventuality, I was instructed by the doctor to get close to her, win her trust, and then guide her to Senketsu at a later time. I knew of his general whereabouts, so I would have located him eventually…it's not like anyone else knew of his existence! Once I had won her trust, I could have then properly prepared her and guided her through the kamui bonding process. Oh, she was certainly a haughty one, I'll give her that! But the old 'Mikisugi charm' would have eventually won her over!"

"Oh, 'eventually'? Really…and I find myself wondering exactly how you were to win her trust, or how long you would pleasure your supposed 'alter ego' in doing so. Were you ordered to callously play with her fragile heart, to overwhelm her with your 'manly charms'? Or was there more in it for you to prove, hmm? To 'win the heart' of yet another pretty girl? You cannot hide forever behind that illusory façade, you know."

Mikisugi scoffed at this wild accusation. What point was she even trying to make, anyways? "I don't know what you are insinuating, Lady Satsuki, but my ultimate intention has _always_ been to support Doctor Matoi's vision to the bitter end, no matter what! I knew the stakes! I always have…now _you_ may find fault with the ways I choose to operate, but I did what I had to do, and I don't regret any of it."

"Really? Not even the improper acknowledgement of poor Kinue's tragic passing? Would _she_ appreciate the person you have now become, hiding behind this absurd 'playboy' persona so you didn't ever have to face the bitter sadness of her loss? To pretend that _true_ love doesn't matter? I'm here because  my true love is dying before my very eyes! You need to get your act together and face reality if I am to ever trust your true intentions!"

His face froze as a mask of compliance, but sinister emotions were boiling underneath the surface. "How dare you make presumed guesses of such absurdity, such wild shots in the dark? You couldn't possibly know of-"

He prepared to pit his resolve against Satsuki's, and was found to be suddenly lacking once she uttered a quiet statement. "I had been blessed with the opportunity to view my father's own private video journals recently, hidden to all who ever knew him. There were many answers within those videos, Aikuro. I know how you once were, and _why_ you act the way you do now. I understand what grief does to one's soul, I truly do. ' _Love is the reason we do anything at all.'_ I am willing to bet that sounds familiar, yes? Father said that, apparently quite often. Perhaps you would do well to finally heed what that really means? ' _This above all: to thine own self be true_ …' I would find it much easier to accept your presence here if it were one based upon actual truth. This laid back 'playboy' mask of yours…I find that I simply cannot trust it, as it is built upon a well-versed lie. I cannot trust such a liar, because if he lies so easily to himself, what is to prevent him from lying to everyone else? I need to know that, deep down, your intentions are to help Ryuko to survive this catastrophe, _not_ to treat this as a trivial chance at yet another hollow romantic conquest! Not to just gamble away her life on a careless roll of your dice… _because I am_ _not_ _a gambler at heart, little man._ "

Mikisugi stood there, rattled to the core by such precise commentary. It was as if she had actually been there, observing his every moment of suffering and struggling to carry on after Kinue's tragic passing. He found his cleverly constructed mask to be but a mere papier-mâché shield, torn away effortlessly by Satsuki's savage remarks. Now she was distrusting his very motivations for rescuing the beautiful, exotic creature known as Matoi Ryuko?

Yes, it was true that he found Ryuko-chan to be intensely alluring, an immensely attractive young woman that posed a rather distinct and insurmountable challenge. He _lived_ to overcome such challenges! It brought out his latent urge to conquer such unattainable beauty, like a dashingly handsome magnet attracted to bare, naked metal. Mikisugi likened himself to be something of a sexual mountaineer: why did he climb such mountains…? Because it's there…and because it's an irresistibly sexy challenge! Truth be told, he thought that if he could find a way to conquer a beautiful woman's fickle heart, he could also somehow conquer the pain of Kinue's passing which still lurked within his own heart. Someday, he might even gather enough courage to actually go through with such a plan. Yes, someday…

Now though…Mikisugi could see the aftereffects of such a ruse. Satsuki stared right through him with cold, distrustful eyes. He had to find a way to prove to the elder sibling that he was still a good, decent man at heart! Because he still _was_ …wasn't he still the good, honest man that Kinue once loved with all her pure heart? Aikuro found himself bowing low before the Kiryuin woman, offering his earnest explanations for his perplexing behavior.

"Lady Satsuki, it seems as though you have me at a gross disadvantage. Yes, it is true that I hide behind a 'mask', as you so describe. I…when Kinue died, I was destroyed. Utterly ruined! So I found myself coping by…by projecting a persona; one who doesn't seem to care about life's slings and arrows, a man who feels no real pain! Perhaps I rely upon it too often. Perhaps I have earned your distrust. But I swear to you, here and now. All I have _ever_ wanted to do, when all was said and done, was to say that I helped your father bring about the world peace he so desperately hoped to achieve. I am guilty of treating Ryuko with disrespect, and my actions have insulted you as well. I can only apologize to you both from the bottom of my heart, and swear an oath that I shall never act in such a way towards her ever again. On this, you have my word."

He raised up, his eyes damp with emotion as they sparkled with emotional fire. "I swear that I will do everything within my power to save her from this calamity, as I have done in the past. I will _not_ allow those life fibers to cruelly take her away from us! Ryuko has been forced to endure terribly unfair injustices perpetrated upon her during her lifetime; be it from family, aliens, or even fate itself! Those damned, cursed threads! They took Kinue away from me. _I won't let them destroy Ryuko, too."_

Satsuki's spindly eyebrows raised up in an impressive arch, signaling her genuine surprise at such an impassioned and heartfelt speech. So there _was_ more to Mikisugi than just an overactive libido, after all. Her keen senses confirmed the earnestness of his tone, his language. He wasn't lying to anyone…save perhaps himself, of course. But that was an emotional cross that he had to bear alone.

"Very well. I accept your apology, and I shall no longer question your resolve regarding this situation. Let us now continue to find a way to extricate Ryuko from this madness. Do we have any ideas, any theories as to how we can accomplish this? For example: does anyone know where this sudden blood craving has come from?"

Mikisugi was silently amazed at Satsuki's resilience and tenacity. _'Ye Gods…what an intense woman! She recovers instantly and soldiers on with an immense sense of dedication and duty…how could such a courageous specimen spring forth from such an evil monster as Kiryuin Ragyo? I shall always have to wonder…'_

Inumuta poked and prodded his tablet, absorbing all he could about a kamui's blood access process and consumption. "Kamuis need to feed. Hosts provide the blood, which is their power source. Such is their nature. But…that is assuming the kamui/host dynamic is a normal one. I hereby postulate that Ryuko has moved beyond this, now that Senketsu is gone and her own fibers have dramatically increased in power since then."

Mikisugu piped up, putting the pieces together as Inumuta spoke. "Yes, that's it! Lady Satsuki, please do forgive the crudeness of this observation, but in essence, Ryuko _is_ now the kamui. _She_ is the one who needs blood to power herself. The fibers need it to keep up their constant war of attrition with her willpower, and her own blood is simply not enough anymore! Now it is forced to seek outside sources to fuel its never-ending internal battle! It seeks to stay in control at all costs, and it's not hiding this subjugation process anymore. Such is its nature! Remember, she carries a spliced, modified bit of the Original Life Fiber within her. Such a powerful thing is not to be taken lightly!"

"Interesting. That makes sense. Now how do we stop the process? She once tore Junketsu free from herself, even after Nui had permanently woven it into her very flesh. What did not kill her only made her stronger, of course! But this…the fibers are throughout her entire body, flesh and bone! They cannot simply be ripped off in one heroic swipe, so removal is most likely impossible. So how do we disrupt their growth so that she can be herself again? Is such a thing even possible? I do not want her to be forever locked away in some treacherous asylum or prison!"

"I believe I have devised a way. Since you first approached me to do so, months ago, I've sought to create a neutralization agent. A 'cure' of sorts, based upon the starch bullet's original mechanism. It's about as close to an actual cure as we could get. I've worked to ease back the sheer intensity of the original compound, being informed by Inumuta's valuable life fiber materials research data as I was…so it should bring Ryuko's fibers down to virtually inert levels, like yours once were, Satsuki-sama. But…there _is_ a risk of it working _too_ well...if it nullifies the fibers that are now performing the tissue functions of certain organs, such as her heart, for example? I…look, I have had _no_ way of testing this! Computerized simulations can only bring 5me so far in the process. If it's too strong, it could kill her. If too weak, she might develop an immunity to it. The fibers could come back from it, adapt and be even stronger as a result!"

"Yes, I see. In that case, I have an idea. Is this cure administered orally or injected intravenously? Please don't say ' _by bullet_ ', because that is simply _not_ going to happen. Getting shot even once was too many times for her."

"Well, either oral or intravenous would suffice…and a bullet was only ever intended as a delivery vehicle for the 'berserker mode' monster, not for poor Ryuko-chan! Injection would get the fastest results, I suppose...but how the hell can we inject her when she's like this? The fibers will fight any attempt at introducing a needle into her flesh, unconscious host or not…remember how they kept rejecting the I.V. needles in the hospital? And I somehow doubt that Ryuko will cooperate and politely accept a cup of this stuff and drink it all up like a good girl!"

"This is true. How much do you currently have on hand, versus the amount you feel is appropriate for her treatment?"

"Hmm…well, I produced enough to dose her twice over, given the potential for sudden, uncontrolled growth in the case of catastrophic containment failure. I based my dosage calculations upon this chart, which represents the totality of the collected information we have regarding life fiber/human hybridization. Here, see for yourself."

Aikuro motioned towards the monitor, and a detailed chart filled the screen with life fiber data. Inumuta's eyes grew wide as they intuited the story behind the colored lines.

"Good lord, that almost looks like the graph for Moore's Law!"

"Mmm…no, it's more drastic than that in Ryuko's case, Hōka. Zoom out. Look here…her data line is more like perusing the planet's atmospheric carbon dioxide levels over the past few centuries. I was finally able to update this to include Ragyo's biological data, once Hōka provided me with that massive cache of Dr. Matoi's research information, as well as what was recovered from REVOCS' former server archives regarding Nui's creation. Look what happens when I overlay them all."

Aikuro swiped across the touchscreen, and multiple data sets were joined together to produce a long-term look at hybrid fiber beings as they grew: an all-encompassing wealth of data that had never been fully visualized by human eyes until now. He tapped the various ever-rising lines, life fiber power levels that had been meticulously mapped out over the past twenty five years.

"Here. Ryuko's statistics are represented in red, Ragyo in yellow, and Nui in purple. Some data is incomplete, since there wasn't a lot of research done on Ragyo's physiology later in life…but we can extrapolate. She, of course, plateaued a few years before her death, but only after a slow, controlled ascent into her self-imposed state of 'godhood'. Now as for Harime Nui, her line can be seen to rise moderately over time until it skyrockets right about here...her 'puberty', I assume? But it then stays the same throughout her life: she was a finished product at that time, so her power level was quite stable..."

"Hmph. That's about the _only_ thing about her that was 'stable'."

"Quite true, Lady Satsuki! Now as you can see, Nui never quite reached the level of Ragyo's own power; as to whether this was a calculated limit or if there was some unknown factor holding her back, I cannot say…but the fact that she simply couldn't interface with a kamui at all is most fortuitous. Her insane mind and unpredictable power, augmented by that of a purebred kamui? That would have been unimaginably disastrous!"

"Nui was limited on purpose. I know this to be true…I remember. Mother never wanted to risk anyone _ever_ achieving the potential for more power than herself! She only ever wanted to look down upon others in true megalomaniac fashion, and she took great pains to make it so."

"Ah? ' _Megalomaniac fashion_ '…hmm. Lady Satsuki, I believe you just summed up Kiryuin Ragyo's entire existence quite succinctly!"

" _*sigh*_ Get _on_ with it, Mikisugi."

" _-ahem-_ Ah, yes! Of course…now, look here, at Ryuko's line. As you can see, it was quite low in the beginning: you can actually see the exact times that she was growing in power, and when her father then administered his inhibitor treatment. Dr. Matoi kept close tabs on her progress, and was quite careful about controlling it. It's no wonder she hates needles with an unholy passion! Now there is a substantial amount of data missing here, after the doctor regrettably passed away. This first data point afterwards was from my own testing, after I first made contact with her. Inumuta, do you see how much she grew in that short amount of time?"

"That is _remarkable_ growth! I, too, took the liberty of examining Ryuko's blood for clues when she first arrived at the Academy. She left a rather large quantity of it around wherever she went, back in those days! Of course, I hadn't known how to interpret these particular kinds of readings in her blood at that point. I can see that these data points right…ah, _here_ and _here_ are from my own data analysis. Now that I see the entire story, though…my God, it's stunning to see it all laid out like this! I had no idea that she was increasing in power so exponentially! I had assumed that her power growth was solely being spurred on by Senketsu's influence! But it appears that she would have eventually blossomed into a most fearsome opponent, even without his presence! In due time, she could have potentially rivaled even Ragyo herself!"

"Yes, that is all well and true, gentleman. But if you look here… _this_ is where she obtained Senketsu. The growth rate then slows down? Why is this the case, Hōka? Mikisugi? Have either of you any theories?"

"Hmm. I think so. When I worked with Dr. Matoi, he specifically designed Senketsu to function as a fiber power enhancer…but also as a friend and confidant. He…was very cruel in his manipulation of poor Ryuko's childhood, making her to become a lonely and bitter individual on purpose. I was not privy to this part of his grand plan until it was far too late to intervene. Had I known, I would have sought to appeal to his moralistic nature! It was unforgiveable, to do that to her. But he did it so that Senketsu would be that much more indispensable to her, a beacon of hope in an otherwise dark and cruel life. Her levels were skyrocketing out of control here because she lived in a state of constant stress and utter chaos. Senketsu…he soothed her, calmed her down, introduced a beneficial, constant element of calm into her stormy life. In short, he was created to be her best friend, in order to ensure that their bonding would be of maximum efficiency and hopefully stronger than anything Ragyo could possibly whip up for controlling her instead."

"Father, how _could_ you…? You were so very loving to me! How could you _do_ this to poor Ryuko? True, I had learned some of this from his personal video journals, but…still, that…that coldhearted _bastard!_ "

"Yes. Yes, that he was, Lady Satsuki. I truly _am_ sorry, if it means anything to you."

"What's done is done. I'll worry about it later. Right now I need to save Ryuko from the repercussions from all of this callous manipulation."

"True, true. Ah, look. Lady Satsuki…there's _one_ more thing I'd like to bring up? I feel that it is necessary to broach this subject at this time. I graphed _your_ power levels as well, from that blood sample I took from your clothes when you first arrived. It only represents a  single data point of course, but…please look at this."

Aikuro called up the new data, adding it to the graph as a bright blue dot. It blinked in at just under Ryuko's current point…and just over Ragyo's last known reading. Satsuki and Hōka both gasped as Aikuro grimly took in their reactions. He exhaled a nervous puff of exasperation, then quietly addressed the statue-still woman.

"I know this is something of a shock…but you are currently more powerful than your mother was at her time of passing. I know you haven't had the time to discover this, given how this dire situation has unfolded…but we will eventually need to consider _your_ treatment options, as well. I am  not insinuating in any way that you are currently a threat to anyone! Please understand this! But there are a lot of unknowns here, and it certainly appears that hybrid individuals react differently to the process. We simply don't know how you will develop from here on out. I feel that it will be wise to eventually consider a containment and treatment protocol for you, too."

Inumuta raised his hand to protest in defense of his erstwhile leader, and Mikisugi quickly silenced him with an index finger. He placed both fists down upon his desk, resolutely locking eyes with the Kiryuin warlord as he laid bare his most serious thoughts regarding the unfolding crisis.

"Let us speak frankly here. Lady Satsuki, I _know_ you do not like me, nor do you respect my opinions or methodologies, beyond what is situationally useful to you at the time. I understand that I can be a most…confounding individual at times. My reasons are my own! Bearing that in mind, I do feel that it is absolutely critical that you learn to take orders from people that are experienced and knowledgeable enough to make such decisions! Either myself _or_ Inumuta, I care not which. I remember your taciturn attitude regarding my professional opinions about your own health, back when Ryuko was comatose in the hospital…and what did that dismissal nearly get you? I'll tell you: a _gravestone!_ A premature death from untreated cancer, which I would have caught right away if you had allowed me to perform but a single damned physical examination of you! We are playing with _fire_ here, Lady Satsuki! _A potential extinction-level inferno!_ I know your life has served to hone and craft you into being a natural leader, but surely even the most seasoned veteran recognizes the need to put aside personal feeling in the face of indisputable facts! Hate me all you want, I do not care about that! But this is bigger than _all of us!_ So when it comes to this hybrid nightmare, I implore you to _please_ heed the advice of either myself or Inumuta when it comes to such observations!"

Satsuki's star eyes quivered with laser-burn intensity as they carefully searched Mikisugi's rock-steady face, then her gaze slowly crawled down to the desk, whereupon they then closed in a moment of quiet introspection.

"You…are correct. My feelings for Ryuko aside, I can indeed rationalize where this _could_ possibly go. I've been so focused upon her fate that I haven't had the time to properly consider my own. As of right now, I feel absolutely no urges out of the ordinary…but I cannot be so arrogant as to assume that my life fibers may not someday try to assume control over _my_ faculties as well. I feel that it may be appropriate to skip right to treating us both at the same time. It is simply too dangerous to allow _anyone_ to possess complete access to such immense power…even myself."

Inumuta drew back in surprise, not expecting her to move so far ahead in the stages of their united crisis planning. Yet wasn't Lady Satsuki always prepared to intuitively think three steps ahead of her opponent…even if the opponent was her very own self? She was truly a magnificent commander at heart!

Mikisugi balked at this idea, however. Palms up, he protested as to the inherent dangers of such a plan. "I haven't had the time to properly study your physiology, or ascertain exactly how you have adapted to this hybridization! I can already note certain changes: her overwhelming strength versus your superior speed, for example…but I cannot assume that you and Ryuko can be treated in the same manner!"

Satsuki prepared to launch a salvo of sarcasm-tipped counterarguments, but they were blown from the sky by Mikisugi's precise use of counter attitude defenses. "I have formulated a long-term inhibitor treatment for my current patient: one Matoi Ryuko, custom-tailored to _her_ physiology alone! I have a great deal of data regarding her unique status. I know next to nothing of yours! This requires extensive planning, research and time! Otherwise, you could _both_ die!"

"Fine. I shall administer the cure to her myself. I will get her to take her medicine, like a 'good girl'. We can worry about my predicament later."

"Well then, fine…glad to hear you finally talking sense. But how are you to accomplish that?"

"Do you doubt my resolve, Mikisugi? Better than you have made that mistake and lived to regret it. Here, give me the bottle. Is this all of it?"

"Yes, that is all I have. If you should spill it, be warned that it will take me a whole week to formulate another batch! Please also remember that you have twice the required dose in that container! Do _not_ administer the entire dose to her at once, or she surely will die! Here, how about I go ahead and split it up so you don't accidentally-"

" _No_. I have this under control. Don't you worry, I can read the container's fluid amounts just fine, even without my reading glasses! Her life is in my hands…I will not provide anything but the  exact required dose. This is the only chance for Ryuko to live her life out as a normal girl. I, Kiryuin Satsuki, will succeed at obtaining this life for her! _I swear it!_ "

"I see. Very well, then. It shall be solely on your conscience, your consequence. I shall monitor her readings from here. Do what you must, Lady Satsuki."

"One thing, Mikisugi. Whatever you do…please do not interrupt my monologue, once I get in there. I'll be weaving a rather compelling cover story, but just let it unfold naturally, all right? I don't need you clumsily interrupting and blowing my true plan. Is that understood?"

"Yes, I understand. I know by now just how masterfully talented you are at bluffing, Lady Satsuki! We shall simply listen in. The chamber's audio won't be switched to two-way communication unless it is a dire emergency. I will not interrupt your conversation, you have my word."

"Good. See that you _don't._ "

Satsuki took out her phone, thought with her eyes closed for a moment, then quickly tapped out a brief text message. Once she was done, she then tossed the phone into her coat pocket, then removed the jacket and carefully tossed it aside. She made an effort to straighten her disheveled hair, then paused briefly as she reached for the airlock's handle. Motioning over to Inumuta, she drew him close and whispered an earnest, last-minute plea to her trusted lieutenant.

"Inumuta, I have to ask of you a favor. If you ever truly respected me, you will carry out this one order, _without question_. Do you understand?"

He nervously swallowed, then nodded as he quietly awaited for the dreaded command that he knew was coming. Loyalty. Honor. He had to hold onto these treasured ideals, for Satsuki's sake…as well as the rest of the world.

"If this treatment ultimately fails, and we are both reduced to being any manner of monstrous fiber berserkers as a result…I'll need to you destroy us _both_ , no hesitations, no questions. Should this occur, fill the chamber with _all_ the inhibitor gas you have at your disposal and do not seek to clear it out until we are both dead. _We cannot be allowed to live and breed._ Will you do this one last thing for me, Hōka? If not as your commander, then as my friend? Promise me this one last thing…please?"

Inumuta's mouth was dry, his pulse dizzyingly fast…yet duty took over and pushed him through the internal panic and chaos that ensnared his fracturing soul. He managed to force out a dry whisper, focusing as he formed these most terrible words. "I…I solemnly _swear_ to you that it will be done, my Lady. I will not fail you. This I promise."

"Thank you, Hōka-san. I can go on now, knowing that this planet has a final failsafe to rely upon. That _I_ can rely upon…as always! Pray for my success, my elite friend."

Hōka bowed, eyes low in deference to her magnificent honor. She slipped into the airlock chamber, then turned to look back at him as he started to slowly close the door. Satsuki then suddenly raised the cure container up, uncapped it, tipped it briefly in his direction…and then proceeded to down the entire container's bitter contents in one forceful swallow.

Inumuta gasped, unbelieving eyes quivering as he suddenly realized the daring core of her mad plan. He whispered out to her, panic surging in his painfully constricted throat. "Satsuki… _no!_ That'll kill you! _She'll kill you!_ " Satsuki responded to this by smiling faintly, then using her immense strength to jerk the airlock door shut…a low groaning sound could then be heard as she forcefully bent the inside handle back, to prevent it from being opened again.

The automatic _-whoosh-_ of the containment door filled his heart with glacially cold worry. Hōka was most likely going to be forced to witness the terrible death of his beloved leader, and there was absolutely nothing he could do to prevent it…and that was if her plan _succeeded_. If she failed, he would have no choice but to fulfill his ultimate destiny as the entire Kiryuin bloodline's final executioner.

Eyes glued to the video feed, Mikisugi squinted as he observed Satsuki walking slowly towards the steel table that held Ryuko's quivering body. "Where the bloody hell...did she forget to bring the damned cure in with her? Hōka! Hey, did she take it in with her? She's not holding the bottle!"

Inumuta stared at him, eyes dulled with muted shock. "Satsuki has it. I saw it with my own two eyes." Mikisugi then stared at the two girls through the observation window with a confused expression. "Well, where's the bottle, then? She left her coat behind! Her pants pockets simply couldn't hide such a large…what, is it stuffed down inside her _bra_ or something?"

Slumping to the ground, Inumuta could only shrug limply as he watched the drama unfold on the main monitor. "There's nothing we can do now but watch. Pray, Aikuro. Pray for them both."

* * *

Ryuko was laying there, seemingly dead to the world. The occasional twitch of her eyes, prowling under closed eyelids, told the true story of her consciousness. She was patiently waiting, like a trapdoor spider, eager to just open up again to her darling prey. It was a terrible attempt at pretending to be asleep…either that, or Satsuki's senses were just that good now. Barely parted lips revealed Ryuko's glistening fangs, crimson and fearfully sharp in appearance. _'Fine, then. That's the current score…right where I want it to be. The time for pretending is now over, Ryuko…'_

"Ryuko. Wake up. I know you can hear me. No use in hiding it anymore."

The hybrid creature's eyes came alive, glowing red eyes focusing upon her visitor. "Mmmmm. My dear Satssssuki….beloved _sisssssterrrrr._ I _love_ you, no matter what you inflict upon me here and now. Let that be known, before you commit to whatever it is you have planned for me!"

"We need to talk, Ryuko. I am not here to harm you. Rather, I'm here to join you."

Glimmering crimson eyes widened in genuine surprise. " _Join_ me…? Oh please, _do_ tell?"

"Here now, pay attention. First, I'm going to turn off that inhibitor harness. This is a show of faith between us, so respect it as such. I will expect you to behave during our conversation, so we can communicate properly. Let us discuss the terms in which I shall _agree_ to surrender myself to you, in exchange for your agreement to certain terms of engagement, going forward. Yes, I will admit that your plan has certain...qualities that appeal to me. But it needs to be tempered by _my_ wisdom, and I will need to be seen an equal in this venture! You are _not_ the boss of me, regardless of your own power levels or what you might have done to activate my own!"

Dark red eyes grew into luminescent coals before her. Ryuko smiled a devilishly seductive grin, and Satsuki could swear that she heard purring in the warm, sultry voice that now called out to her.

"There…you see? I _knew_ you would see the light! Mmm…absolute power only waits for those truly wise enough to seize it! What we shall be achieving together…it shall be the tale of legend, to be carved into the very stars themselves…by _our_ rightful hands!"

"Yes…but do also know that I…miss you, as well. I long for your touch, dear heart. I, too, also hurt inside…only your heavenly presence can make me whole again."

Ryuko's face relaxed just then, a genuinely tender expression eventually winning out over the gleefully surprised hybrid's excitement over cementing her status as future heir to the world and the galaxy beyond.

"Sats…I missed you, too. I can't live without you…I know that now. Come to me. I long for your warmth."

Satsuki dutifully reached out and turned the collar off, the power audibly cycling down with a spiraling whine as she disconnected the electronic shackles and chains. Ryuko slowly rose up from the metal bed, stretching and bending her back as she smirked at the almost demure creature now standing before her. One hand brushed lovingly past Satsuki's pale cheek, and Ryuko released a nearly imperceptible sigh of desire as their eyes finally met. Ryuko gently caressed the beautiful woman's jawline; her sensitive neck and shoulder were slowly being traced as though by a painter's talented paintbrush. Ryuko smiled, and then quietly murmured her thanks directly into Lady Satsuki's delicate earlobe.

"Thank you for coming to my rescue, my beloved. I knew you would come to your senses…those terrible shackles were so very restrictive! I simply cannot afford to be restrained or kept from my glorious destiny any longer! Nor can I be kept from what is rightfully _mine_." With this, her delicate gaze transformed into a predatory sneer in a flash. The soft caress turned into a cruel hook, ensnaring the Kiryuin woman's long hair with an immensely powerful grip. Ryuko slowly lowered Satsuki's head down to the bed's surface as her breathing became deep and agitated.

"Sssssstupid move, Kiryuinnnn! Not like you to make such a missssstake! Here, let me teach you a valuable lesson in paying _attention!_ Time for you to recognize who the boss _really_ is around here!" With this, Ryuko pounced upon Satsuki with lightning speed, bowling her over and pinning her to the metal bed with overwhelming strength. The underlying hair framing her twisted face was now blooming into multitudes of bright red threads, glowing like a sinister bouquet of so many fiber optic strands.

Wincing in pain, Satsuki gasped as she turned her head away from the slavering beast now perilously upon her. She raised her chin, baring her neck towards the razor fangs that hovered mere inches away. "You're weak, and growing weaker by the moment. You cannot even think straight! You need to feed, don't you? Go ahead, Ryuko. I shall allow it."

Ryuko suddenly recoiled at this notion, nostrils flaring with edgy agitation. "No! What _is_ thissss...you're obviously trying to trick me into killing you! No, I need you! The p-plan! The breeding! I...I can't!"

Satsuki bared her own fangs towards her captor, eyes glowing bright blue in savage intensity as she snarled bitterly. "Yes, but the _blood..._ you need it, don't you? When was the last time you even _tasted_ blood that was not your own? Have you even gone that far yet? I need you to be lucid if we are to carry out your plans. It will take more than a bit of mere bleeding to finish Lady Kiryuin Satsuki off, Ryuko! Do as you will. I know you need it...so _take it_!"

Ryuko flinched. Confusion rippled across her snarling, drooling face as she stared hungrily at her delectable prey. Now that she had Ryuko's full attention, Satsuki slowly rolled her head to one side, purposefully exposing her slender neck to the mad beast. Her beautiful, enticing carotid artery, it was right _there_...swollen and pulsing with sweet, potent blood! Rushing, "pulsing, the hot liquid of life itself that powered everything that ever mattered. It was right there for the taking!

"Go on… _take it._ Take  me. I love you. I give myself over to you, Ryuko-chan...flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood. You are growing weaker, I can sense it...do what you must. I trust you. I...I want you. I miss you. "

Satsuki slowly curled her hands around Ryuko's head, gently pulling it towards her own exposed throat. A low growl petered out into a heated groan of overwhelming desire as Ryuko snuffled and snorted with increasing fervor. Satsuki's delicate scent was maddeningly tempting in its alluring proximity. A pointed tongue slowly lapped at the nape of Satsuki's alabaster neck, quivering with excitement as Ryuko experimentally tasted the light sheen of perspiration that had just started to appear there.

A rush of treasured memories assaulted the young hybrid; back to the very first time of her making ponderously slow, beautiful love to this most exquisite woman...the first hesitant, exploratory fumbles, then the increasingly daring push towards complete body melding. Their loving tribadism had brought them closer than either of them had ever thought possible, and it was a life-changing experience for them both...and the sweaty, frenzied scissoring that followed brought new meaning to the term 'explosive orgasmic bliss'. To experience the intensity of such tender, heartfelt love...both girls had felt especially blessed to have surrendered to such a desperate dive into physical intimacy on that fateful eve.

The blood now represented _all_ of that in one quick, desperate slash. Ryuko plunged her head down, piercing Satsuki's engorged artery with urgent force as she surrendered to her primal urges. Crimson eyes rolled back as Ryuko lost herself to the stratospheric orgasm plateau of pulling the sweet, coppery heaven directly from her victim's shaking, weakening body. Satsuki clutched desperately at Ryuko's wild, feral hair…but made no effort to prevent it from happening. The pain was incredible, and she could already feel her circulatory system starting to strain in agony from this increasingly traumatic loss of blood.

Mikisugi grabbed his temples in a mad, panicked swipe. "NO! That savage...she's _killing_ her! Inumuta, we have to  do something!" His fist hovered over the button that would flood the chamber with inhibitor gas...but Hōka's hand encircled his wrist with a surprisingly powerful grip.

"No, we have to _trust_ Satsuki-sama! This is part of the plan, I just know it! Look, Lady Satsuki...she…she took the full dose, right before she went in there. Ryuko is unwittingly consuming a Trojan horse influx of that cure _right now!_ We just have to pray that it starts to take effect before...before she manages to-"

They both focused upon the unfolding horror before them, of Ryuko slaking her terrible blood thirst at Satsuki's traumatized neck. Both men noticed at the same time that, while Satsuki was obviously in tremendous agony, she was also apparently in complete control of her faculties as well. One upraised hand, hovering there behind Ryuko's head, proffered two fingers towards the direction of the containment unit's window. The rest of her was trembling and shaking like a pitifully wounded creature, but that hand was a motionless stone pillar of sheer concentration. Hōka's eyes widened as something clicked inside his head.

"Yes…yes, of course! Give her two minutes, Mikisugi, _then_ flood the chamber with just a knockout level of gas. This is all part of her plan."

Mikisugi slammed his fist down upon the table, frustration flaring in his glimmering eyes. " _How_ can you know this, Inumuta? If we are wrong, then we may as well have murdered her ourselves!"

One finger pointing towards Satsuki's outstretched hand, Hōka murmured a quiet, urgent plea to the agitated researcher. "Watch. I know of her ways, and I know enough to trust in her every subtle action, silent or otherwise. Observe."

As if by cue, one finger curled down, leaving a single index finger pointing up to the ceiling. Still strong, still resolute, even as the rest of her appeared to be quivering with paroxysms of sheer agony while Ryuko voraciously fed upon her lacerated throat. Mikisugi frowned, then reluctantly nodded as he admitted the evidence now before him.

"Hmm. It would appear that you are correct. This can't all be an act, though. Satsuki is in tremendous danger! Even if this somehow works, I don't know how we'll treat her afterwards…we have no blood on hand here, nor are any of us her type!"

Inumuta grinned. "We'll simply have to play it by ear. Knowing her, she'll have a plan for that, too. Have faith in Lady Satsuki's actions, Mikisugi…I know _I_ do."

* * *

"Agh! That…is _*ah!*_ quite  enough blood for now, Ryuko! Remember our _*hahh*_ agreement!"

"Rrr…nnn _never_ enough! Stop struggling! You are mine to do with as I please, blood puppet! Ha-ha-ha-ha-haaa!"

Satsuki stared up at the slavering beast, vision cloudy and hazy as she fought to stay conscious. The cure was boring a hole into her stomach, cold tendrils radiating out and sapping her limbs of precious strength as she fought valiantly to salvage all she ever loved from impending disaster. Ryuko had the look of a mad dog, glistening streaks of blood covering her lips and lower jaw as she sadistically leered down at her hapless victim. A demented creature stared back down at Satsuki; one that hadn't yet reached their fill of domination and torture for the time being.

 _'The cure must be working to unhinge her very mind right now; those damned threads are embedded too deeply in her brain! I cannot reason with her like this...and I can't hold out for much longer! My power is ebbing…losing it far too quickly…damn it all, the breaking point is now here! I cannot allow this to go on!'_

Choking and sputtering, Satsuki struggled to look towards the chamber's observation window. She managed to cough out a weak order, hoping that it would be detected before she lost all consciousness at the cruel hands of this demented fiber beast.

"A...audio! _*ghack*_ N-now!"

Mikisugi's voice chirped to life from the room's speakers. "Lady Satsuki! Current status?"

Struggling to stay awake, Satsuki used every ounce of her strength to pry Ryuko's iron fists away from her esophagus to allow for a proper answer. "Amount of cure...too weak! Dump...full amount of gas _*krrch*_ i-into the chamber…now!"

"But...a full amount of inhibitor gas, in conjunction with the cure? It'll overwhelm you both! Lady Satsuki, that's a _death sentence!_ "

Ryuko's nose wrinkled as she slowly caught on to the true nature of their conversation. "Did you jus' say…'cure'? Wha'…what're you really plannin' here, woman…eh?" She found her words to be slurring as waves of nausea bolted through her midsection. Sudden panic rippled through her tense frame as an oddly bitter, medicinal taste flooded her mouth, washing over the coppery flavor of well-earned blood like a tsunami of frigid fear.

Satsuki reflexively coughed as she sought to keep Ryuko occupied for just a few more moments. "Better us than _*hukk*_ the entire  planet! Simply flood the chamber with all you have on hand...no time for calculations! _Do as I say!_ We're both _*hrrrmmmff*_ w-weakening, but I can't hold her back for much longer! She's too damned strong!"

"No, I refuse! There's too much risk! I won't become your executioner!"

"Damn it, you sparkly jackass...fine! _Hōka!_ Fulfill your promise to me... _now!_ '

Before Mikisugi could stop him, Hōka hammered down upon the glowing green button that released the inhibitor jets. He then quickly spun the dosage dial up to full power. The ceiling's containment tanks made hollow, metallic whines as their pumps spooled up to deliver the massive dose. Mikisugi's eyes bulged out in panicked disbelief as Inumuta then set himself in front of the control panel, arms raised up and stance at the ready to fend off any sort of physical attack.

"Inumuta! You _idiot!_ That's too much! It will end up killing them _both_ if we don't turn down that damned dial!"

"I made a promise. I shall not break it."

"Hōka! Damn it all, man! They'll die for sure!"

"…I know. Once again: I made a promise. _I shall not break it._ "

* * *

Satsuki could feel her immense fiber-borne powers ebbing; cold, metallic bitterness filled her mouth as both the cure and the anesthetic gas saturated her body with icy rivers of fiber-nullifying doom. She could also see that Ryuko was visibly flagging as well: her eyes were glazing over and fists were slowly losing their titanic grip upon her own hands. However, Satsuki was currently at a tactical disadvantage, since she had been outclassed in the strength department from the very beginning. This situation was quickly becoming untenable. It was time to even the odds, or at the very least…guarantee a Pyrrhic victory.

Satsuki flailed out desperately with one hand and grabbed the inhibitor collar harness. Suddenly her forehead snapped up, bashing Ryuko's sensitive nose with a skull-crushing headbutt. Agony burst right through Ryuko's wall of incoherent aggression as hot blood splattered down all over Satsuki's face and chest. Satsuki then focused all of her remaining power towards wrapping the harness around the both of them, weaving it in and out of their struggling limbs as they rocked back and forth. She deftly snapped one shackle cuff onto Ryuko's wriggling wrist, then secured another to one of her own.

Grimacing with terrible pain, the Kiryuin warrior then reached out and flicked the inhibitor collar back on while Ryuko was momentarily distracted by her shattered nose. Sizzling jolts of energy immediately blasted through both girls as their united screams quickly reached an ear-piercing crescendo. Their bodies involuntarily stiffened as though they were somehow sharing the electric chair for some unimaginable crime: limbs were rendered immobile and painfully rigid as agonizingly hot jolts of energy stabbed through the united core of their very existence.

Fighting through pulsing waves of boiling white agony, Satsuki somehow managed to squint up and observe her dear sibling's current physical status. She needed to gauge just how the cure was currently affecting the monstrous hybrid. What were the chances that Ryuko might just…flop over in a few moments and peacefully let the chemicals do their sacred job? What were the odds that her daring gamble was going to actually pay off?

One glimpse and she could tell…they were not good.

Where bright crimson once stood out, bolts of shimmering multicolored swaths were now evident in amongst Ryuko's underlying mass of hair, her infamous red streak now a glowing rainbow dagger sticking out from her skull. Terrifyingly sharp teeth were now painfully gritted together as she jerked and spat from the energy's terrible sting. Ryuko glared down upon her elder sibling, white-hot rage dominating her hatefully contorted face.

" _Rrrrrr_ …yy **you** ** _._** You let me _*cough*_ take your damn blood on p'rpose 'cause there was _*hurkch*_ somethin'…contaminatin' it! _*hurrk*_ I c'n taste it now, burnin' inside o' me! What _is_ this shit…did you try t' _poison_ me, Sas'ki? Poisonin' **me**? Nice…t-try, you bitch! _*uhkk!*_ What doesn't k-kill me _*hurk*_ makes m-me…s-stronger! Fuck takin' over this _*hnnngh*_ p-planet with your help…I'll have t' make do w-wit' _*rrrrnnngggh*_ m-matin' wit' your fuckin' _corpse!_ "

Satsuki blanched as fear started to scrape frozen talons through her spinning mind. _'This is all taking too long…it's not enough! Have to find a way of overwhelming the energy of those stubborn bastard fibers so the cure can be afforded a chance to neuter them, once and for all! Time to push this to the very edge, or go sailing right over it…!'_

Consciousness rapidly graying out at the edges of her peripheral vision, Satsuki desperately reached out and grabbed the main neck collar mechanism, now dangling loosely in amongst the tangled harness leads. It sparkled with bright blue arcs of energy, and every jolt felt like a billion hornet stings all at once as Satsuki clutched it to her heaving chest.

Satsuki could sense a noticeable pattern to the inhibitor harness pulses: an odd sort of resonance was building up, and it was steadily growing stronger as the mechanism slowly lost its structural cohesion. Being wrapped up with such a volatile concentration of opposing life fibers was creating an immensely powerful feedback loop…one determined push, and it would all go supercritical.

She gasped out a defiant, withering growl at her captor, glowing blue eyes crackling with electric fire as she locked herself into one final death grip with her beloved sibling, her better half…her beautiful murderer.

Ryuko's infuriated eyes were brought to a brief, confused pause as Satsuki answered her mad glare with an impossibly still gaze of sadness. Tears of blue fire streamed forth from Satsuki's haunted eyes as she reached up to gently caress her dear sister's blood-slicked chin one last time. Confused, Ryuko panted and fumed as she tried to divine the meaning of such an odd gesture. Satsuki's last whisper was devoid of volume, but powerful in meaning.

"To the entire world, you may have been one person…but to one person, you were the entire world. I love you, Ryuko-chan… _goodbye._ "

Satsuki then screamed as the glowing ring was torn asunder with the very last of her strength, one final act of savage defiance that concealed within it a hidden, desperate prayer. Her last thoughts were of how it was now up to the mercurial whims of Fate to decide how this tragedy would play out. She prayed for their souls, knowing that one way or the other...this was the end.

The world exploded.


	17. - The Law of Closure -

\- The Law of Closure -

* * *

"I don't believe you ever get closure on anything. Things leave a permanent mark on you."

\- Allison Anders

* * *

\- Three months later -

The lilting melodies of a gently strummed guitar made their way through the house, eventually catching the attention of Satsuki's keen ears. It was a surprisingly pleasant tone, somewhat reminiscent in structure to perhaps some form of classical music. That didn't quite compute, however, considering her other half's usual (meaning, in her esteemed opinion, utterly _savage_ ) sonic predilections…so she sought to investigate the source of this aural anomaly for herself. Following the music's source, she eventually found herself standing before the door of the downstairs den. Ducking her head inside, she spied Ryuko's form, curled up on the expansive couch while plucking away at an unfamiliar acoustic guitar, the likes of which she had never seen before.

Smirking slightly, she cleared her throat just enough to catch the attention of the entranced young instrumentalist, who jerked her head up in sudden surprise at first, then relaxed once she arrived back to the proper plane of her creative existence.

"Uh…hey! Sorry, was I bugging you? I was tryin' to keep it down. Didn't think you'd hear me way down here from up in your office…"

A warm smile crossed the tall woman's face, putting the hesitant girl at ease in record time. "Not at all. I came to hear the source of such a lovely melody! I must say I am a bit surprised to hear it coming from here! No offense intended, of course. It's just that it is much calmer and gentler than your standard fare? I haven't witnessed you ever wielding a _non-_ electric guitar before."

Head bobbing slowly to her internal metronome rhythm, Ryuko stroked out a few more delicate notes, then shrugged as she blew some pesky swatches of hair away from her now-upturned face. "Well, that's because I just picked up this sweet classical guitar. Nylon strings, see? It ain't electric or amplified, so I figure it doesn't count towards that wimpy old ' _no loud guitars while you're home_ ' rule of yours, eh? I figure it's a good way to get back on the road to musical recovery, so to speak. I guess I wasn't expecting to find out just how much I was relying on some _ah,_ 'unnaturally enhanced' strength back when I played a lot before, ya know? And so here I am…going about it all the hard way, all over again. Gotta build up slowly to that level of playing, just can't…ugh, I just can't _do_ it right now…kinda frustrating, really. My hand cramps up all the time and stuff, it's all so damned irritating."

One tapered eyebrow twitched ever so slightly at this proclamation. Satsuki carefully regarded her dear heart's demeanor with an even glance, then in a subdued voice she murmured "Are you handling it well? I understand that must be terribly aggravating to you. Do you want to talk about it?" Ryuko swiveled her head back up, an oddly sweet expression spreading over her melancholy demeanor as she shook her head.

"Naw. I ain't _really_ mad, I swear. Look, I feel what you're getting' at, all right? I'm cool, it's all good. No angry outbursts from me. I mean… _*sigh*_ …yeah, it sucks. I just gotta keep working at it! That's all. Hell, I'm actually enjoying myself right now. This guitar sounds really nice…I can see now why people like to play 'em on occasion. All mellow and stuff. Lots of my favorite music starts out like this, y'know, a nice calm acoustic intro before it gets all super heavy? I'm all gettin' my 'Matoi Ryuko: Unplugged' groove going on down here! Heh-heh! No, if anything, I'm more upset about…this."

She held out a few strands of the aforementioned unruly swatch of hair that so rudely interrupted her train of thought earlier. Satsuki squinted, then leaned closer to see what the problem might be. Noting nothing out of the ordinary, she then cocked her head as she met quizzical eye to eye with the once and future guitarist extraordinaire. "What is this…split ends again? I told you to use more conditioner and less blow drying, you know."

Ryuko rolled her eyes, _harrumphed_ , and then turned on a table lamp to better illuminate the object of her annoyance. Holding up part of her red streak, she impatiently waited with still-rolled eyes until Satsuki finally started to notice what was wrong. "Hmm. Oh! Your red streak? Is it…?"

" _Fading._ Yeah, it is. See how it doesn't seem to pick up the surrounding light and glow like some big goddamned neon sign, pointing out the unlucky genetic freak in the crowd? It's almost more like a dull, lackluster maroon now. Mako pointed it out the other day, and I think she's right. I think it's eventually going to fade away to black altogether. I mean, I guess I get _why_ , I just…I dunno, didn't expect it? It's been a part of me since I was born. I'm not sure if I should be sad, or happy or…I don't know how to feel about it. It's like a big part of my identity is…what's so funny?"

Laughing, Satsuki tossed her head back as she silently thanked random all-powerful entities for sending such a simple predicament their way. "Well! You could simply cut it all off! It worked for me, you know. Oh, wait…no, never mind that. You'd probably get a Mohawk just to horrify me! Why don't you just dye it, if you're so worried about it? They _do_ make some remarkably bright coloring chemicals these days, don't they?"

Ryuko briefly weighed the benefits of actually getting a Mohawk to upset the snotty, grinning bitch now before her…then decided that it would be too little payoff for investing in such a spectacle to be worth her time. However…filling all of Satsuki's office desk drawers to the very top with bright red glitter? Ah, now _that_ sounded more like her style! She made a mental note to go shopping for craft supplies in the near future as she balefully regarded her haughtily dismissive sibling.

"Oh, wow. Thanks _so_ much for your heartfelt concern, Sats. No, I'm probably just gonna let it go away, maybe try being normal for once? I can grow out my hair longer now, too; I don't hafta worry about some street punk grabbing me by it in a fight anymore. Yeah, I remember how good _you_ looked with really long hair, so maybe it's my turn now! But the red…? _*sigh*_ Ugh, I dunno. Well, perhaps it's time I didn't stand out so much anymore. I'm just a plain old boring human, now…I guess I should embrace that, right?"

Satsuki placed a hand upon Ryuko's shoulder, squeezing as she gazed down upon the girl's wistful expression. "You aren't just a 'plain old boring human', Ryuko. You are an extraordinary and phenomenal woman, an explosion of passionate cheer and loving warmth! You don't need that red streak to stand out! Your beautiful smile brightens a room far more than that silly streak ever could!"

"Wh-okay? M-maybe? I mean, _*pfft*_ , I ain't that spectacular… _you're_ the one who always causes a hush in the crowd when you walk into a room. I might be all cute or whatever, but you're actually _pretty_ and _elegant_ and stuff. Huh…come to think of it, perhaps I  do need my streak, after all? Can't let you hog all the attention, right?"

"Nonsense. It's the way I carry myself that commands attention and respect, not my hairstyle. Now I _could_ teach you how to emanate such an elegant presence, but I already know you won't ever buy into such a philosophy. Still, the offer is there, just so you know."

"Hmm, now lessee…to act all snooty or _not_ to act all snooty? Think I'll pass on that, 'Madame Stuffypants'. I can just win people over with my own fun-loving charm, if I need to…ah, assuming that there _are_ people I do want to win over? People just accept my attitude at work now, though I _guess_ I do act all civilized and crap there. Damn, maybe I am becoming housebroken, after all?"

"Perish the thought, dear. You behave there because, deep down, you know it is the proper way to act towards others! The kindness of time will eventually wear away your rough burrs and smooth down your sharp edges, leaving a stunningly polished example of humanity in its place. I am terribly proud of your progress on that front. I knew I chose correctly when I placed you in that position!"

" _*sigh*_ Hard to argue with that, I suppose…I really do like helping people, when you get right down to it. Makes me feel better about myself and stuff."

"Right. So, speaking of helping people? Now that I'm down here…let us talk for a moment, Ryuko-chan. Please, come and sit with me. Some things have been weighing on my mind for a while, and I want your opinion on something personal."

"Okay? Wow, it sounds serious already, even fer you?"

"Well, perhaps it is. Bear with me, please. Some of what I have to ask of you is not exactly easy for me to say."

"Uh-oh…okay. Spill, then. I'm all ears!"

"Right, so…here I go. We shall start with the easy part first, so take these. They are for you."

Satsuki carefully laid down a few white cards upon the coffee table, followed by a silvery grayish one. She waited for Ryuko's curiosity to kick in (meaning about two entire milliseconds, in real time), then observed as she swooped down to investigate each in turn.

"Um…hmm. These are…lessee here…appointment reminders? Who the hell scheduled so many doctor appointments for me? Did you do this behind my back- _wait_. Uh, Sats…these have your name on them. What's this about, huh?"

Satsuki smirked ever-so-slightly at the quizzical expression that now filled her vision. One glance at Ryuko's beautiful, wondering eyes, and suddenly it felt so effortless for her to continue. She built up a head of steam in her heart, then plowed right into the frigid snowdrifts of fear that had plagued her for so very long. Old barriers were about to be forever breached, and she felt a bit of elation at the recognition of this fact.

"These are all part of a promise I am making to you now, Ryuko-chan. I need to be around to care for you, so I have to think properly about my own future. These are appointments I have made with a primary care physician, an orthopedist, an oncologist, as well as a mental health therapist. I have to care about myself, body and mind. I need to realize that I am not immortal. I need to accept that it is not weakness that causes me to seek out the help of medical specialists, but rather simple pragmatism. My mission is not to destroy my mother and save the world any longer: it is now to care for others in this new world we have created…and especially to care for _you_. I have to come to terms with all of this, and act accordingly. I must learn to let go of that which I no longer need…and to salvage that which I truly desire. I have to change for the better…I simply must."

Ryuko's eyes widened, then misted over in a sudden display of surprise waterworks. She squeezed Satsuki's shoulders as she joyfully expressed her dizzyingly elated reaction to the beloved woman before her.

"Th-that's great, Satsuki! I'm _*sniff*_ so proud of you! I mean, I'm sorry I yell at you about that doctor stuff so much, but you're, y'know, so damned important to me! I…oh wow, this really means a _lot_ to me, I want you to know that."

She cast her blurring eyes over the cards again, then stopped abruptly as she regarded the dull silver one. Freezing, she then picked it out of the pile as her vision cleared. A head tilt signified the rush of new confusion that followed.

Slightly thicker than a normal business card, the slogan merely read _'Just ask me for help and I'll be there for you.'_ No phone number, address or other contact information was stamped upon its muted gray surface. Ryuko flipped it over a few times, then shrugged.

"Uh…this one must be a mistake. It's just a plain ol' card for the RECOVER Foundation. I mean, it _is_ all nice and fancy? But…what's the point of a business card with no number? Is this made of some kinda metal? Looks real snazzy! But still…I don't get it?"

Satsuki laughed musically, the abrupt sound echoing in the cozy den. That wonderful sound was slowly but surely becoming less and less alien as time went by, Ryuko silently and gleefully noted.

"Ah! That is no ordinary business card, dear heart. It is, in fact, a prototype for a fundamentally new kind of card altogether! Inumuta whipped it up as a clever way for those who are victims of domestic abuse to reach out to our foundation for assistance without raising any suspicions. True, it appears to be but a mere business card on the surface…but it is _so_ much more. Here, try it out. Ask the card for assistance, as though you were seeking help as an abuse victim would. Don't look at me like that, I'm being serious here! Trust me…just do it."

Befuddled, Ryuko aimed one suspicious eyeball at her loony sibling while she sought to humor her anyways. "Okaaayyy? Uh…hey there, shiny card. Help, help. I'm being repressed!"

The card rested in her palm while precisely nothing happened. Ryuko giggled as she shot a devilish glance at Satsuki's pouting chin.

" _*snort*_ Aw. Sorry, but it looks like 'Siri' here ain't working right now, boss lady. Hope you saved the receipt."

" _*tch*_ You sarcastic _jackass_. It has a built-in voice stress analyzer. You think we want just anyone using this technology? Imagine an abuser using this device for clues, to try to track the specifics of their victim's potential flight! No, you have to mean it. Speak to it with a semblance of desperation and fear in your heart. Just say 'help me', but think of something fearful as you do so. Trust me, it won't take much to trigger the response. Think 'fear', not 'anger'."

Ryuko thought about it for a moment, then reluctantly allowed herself to dredge up a painful memory or two. She didn't have to dig very deep to find something that worked, given her past history. With a breathless quiver in her throat, she paused, sighed, and then plaintively called out to the card nestled within her outstretched hand.

"… _help_ me…"

The card briefly glimmered, then a small antenna grew out from the top edge. A viewfinder materialized out of nowhere to display a glowing cellphone screen…which lit up as it called the preprogrammed number embedded within the complex circuitry. Satsuki's phone started to ring in her pocket as she stood there, arms akimbo, patiently waiting for the dots to be connected in her bewildered sibling's mind as the device's interactive voice response system meted out a soothing, reassuring tone: it informed the listener that help would soon be available in their time of dire need. Ryuko's eyes bugged out comically, the sheer amazement blazing across her face as she gawped at the now-transformed card.

"Are you fucking kidding me? It turns into a working _phone?_ Is this a prank? How the hell does this shit even work?"

"Why, the same way anything else worked: hard and clever work. This technology was derived in part from you, dear. Do you recall the times you spent with Inumuta in the lab, showing him how you shaped the life fibers by will alone? Well, that research bore some most useful fruit, did it not? What you are holding is a result of research that was only made possible by _your existence_ , Ryuko-chan! Material and method, both borne from you: your time and personal sacrifice has allowed us to someday save the lives of innocents. The card's business name and type itself will be randomized, all of which will lead to fronts owned by RECOVER, of course. Right now it just goes to my cellphone for testing purposes, but it will soon go to a dedicated and completely untraceable phone system for when it goes live. Voice analysis determines the stress levels of the endangered individual, unlocks the phone's true function, and calls our foundation for contact details and subsequent processing. I just thought you might like to know that your very existence will allow us to help countless people!"

Cradling the card-phone with a delicate embrace, Ryuko stared at it with an indeterminable expression for what felt like a rather long while. She finally managed to look up from her internal reflections to fix the RECOVER Foundation's president with a glowing smile. It took a few moments before she could form actual coherent words, but she eventually croaked out a quiet statement past her stunned lips.

" _I_ made this thing possible? It's like… _magic!_ I don't know what to say."

"I say the same when I think of you."

"Oh, you are _such_ a total dork."

"Perhaps…but the sentiment is genuine, nonetheless."

"Yeah? Well…right back atcha, ya softy. This is so awesome! This will help out lots of people in need. I can be proud of this."

"I heartily agree! I'm glad you approve of it. All right. Now…here's the last thing. The biggest thing."

"What, bigger than this?"

"I should think so. I was thinking about something the other day. Well, I suppose that's not entirely true. I've been pondering an idea for a long time…something you once said to me. About changing my name? Do you recall that?"

"Uh-huh…?"

"So I… _*ahem*_ …well, I thought that this perhaps might be a good idea, after all. I can do that, and I… _*sigh*_ …I would like more than anything to be divorced from the Kiryuin name, once and for all. I no longer wish to be marked by association with such misery. To this very day it carries with it the weight of a most terrible legacy."

"Yep. Sure does."

"Yes…so I thought about it, and I did some research, and I discovered some _*ahem*_ rather, ah…interesting things about the intricacies of Japanese law. Now if I were to simply change my name and be done with it, then that would be all well and good. But then I thought about what to take for a new name? It would certainly need to be a name with a great deal of meaning to me…a-and…well, I've come to develop quite an appreciation for _your_ name. 'Matoi' is a-"

"Wait, hold up. You wanna change yer name to be the same as mine? You _know_ that's just a fake name, yeah? Besides, there's that whole ' _no, we ain't related, I swear_ ' thing that I thought was so important for us to project? I mean, you take _my_ name and people will just automatically assume that we're-"

"No, wait. Let me finish. It's a bit more complicated than that."

"Oh, boy! Just what we needed! A _more_ complicated life!"

"Ryuko! Will you _please_ let me finish?"

"…sorry, sorry. Go ahead."

" _Thank_ you. Anyways, I discovered one intriguing thing that people sometimes do, since it is forbidden to marry a person of the same sex in this country. They employ a-"

" _Marriage?!_ What the _hell_ are you talking about, woman? I ain't  ever going through that nightmare scenario ever again! Hell, I ain't _ever_ gonna be caught dead in a church again, or in a damned wedding dress, or even _touch_ a friggin' bouquet!"

"Damn it, Ryuko! This is hard enough for me to ask of you, will you _please_ listen to my reasoning?! It's  not that!"

"Oh, it's…uh…it's not?"

" _No!_ Well, not…exactly."

"Explain. Now."

"I will, and I am! Listen, I realized something in the hospital, that night when you were shot. The only reason I could be by your side at all is because I dumped an enormous amount of money into that hospital's charity! Oh sure, it's nice to have an entire hospital wing dedicated to you, but…well, they were certainly willing to look the other way while the 'rich eccentric woman' spent weeks tending to the love of her life, however that was a lucky happenstance. I had no actual legal visitation rights whatsoever, since we aren't legally related."

"Yeah…'legally'… _*snort*_ "

"Yes. You see, I don't want such a thing to ever come between us. We are both leading normal lives now, and we cannot presume that we will always survive whatever disaster life throws our way. If one of us was hurt, the other would have no legal recourse to care for the other at all! So…bearing that in mind, I was thinking of a sort of, well... _*ahem*_ …an adoption arrangement."

"A-say _what_ now?"

"It's purely for legal purposes, Ryuko. You officially adopt me, and we shall each then have ironclad legal rights to care for one another. Plus, I get the new family name I truly desire! It's not exactly a 'marriage', even though that _is_ the tactic that most gay couples employ in this country to be legally joined. Since same-sex marriage is not officially recognized by the Japanese government…well, this is how people get around that roadblock."

"Me."

"Yes."

"Adopt…you."

"Yes."

"Okay…lemme try to get this straight. Now you wanna be legally related to the actual blood sister you never knew you had, since there's no official documentation that proves our actual blood relationship…after taking great pains to make sure that the public thinks we weren't ever related for real?"

"That is correct. It's purely a change in legal status."

"Uh-huh. Yeah, so I think my head hurts now? That has got to be _the_ weirdest thing I've ever heard."

"Consider our lives for just one moment, then ask yourself if that's really true? We just defeated a malevolent alien string invasion…with the assistance of sewing machine gun wielding soldiers…by weaving together living super-powered costumes…that our evil seamstress mother wanted to use to blow up the Earth…"

"Oi, all right already! I get it. Fine, okay. I'm in."

"Wait, you mean you…you'll do this for me?"

"Yeah. I get where yer coming from, I guess. It's not a 'marriage', really. I ain't _ever_ gettin' married…not after the shit I went through. Ergh, that ordeal still gives me the damned chills."

"I absolutely understand your position. You need not be chained to me in any way, save that of the legal responsibility to care for one another. Should I fall ill, I want you to be able to make decisions regarding the fate of my health. Should I die, I'll need you to be able to properly inherit and thusly take care of my estate, and this way my-"

"Whoa! Quit it with the whole 'death' talk! I've had enough of that to last us a lifetime!"

"But I just want to be clear that you need not ever be tied to me as a result of this legal agreement…Ryuko-chan, death has always been a part of my life, and I have to be realistic about the ramifications of this arrangement!"

"Oi! What if I _want_ to be tied to you? That sounds hot as hell."

"I-er, well… _*cough*_ …I-"

"Oh, man. I love doing that to you! You have nuclear powered cheeks, you know that?"

"So it would appear, you demon child. You revel in teasing me... _mercilessly._ "

"Oh, maybe just a little bit. Hee-hee-hee!"

" _*sigh*_ Oh, I swear. One day…"

"Oh come _on_ , quit that grumpy steaming...I get it. I understand what yer going for here. I'll do it, I promise!"

"Thank you, Ryuko-san! This means the world to me…to finally cast off my curse, once and for all! Just imagine: 'Lady Matoi Satsuki' won't have to worry about that terrible burden any longer. I will finally be free to live as my own person, without the specter of her horrid name always overshadowing my existence! Not necessarily a true 'clean slate', of course…but it is certainly a start."

"Uh-huh. So...no more calling you 'onee-san', I guess? Or is that allowed in public now? Um…I'm confused."

"I looked forward to the day you'd call me that willingly, you know. Oh, how you struggled so very much when you first tried! However, I feel as though it is, as it was then, up to you now. Call me as you wish. To me, we just… _are_. That is enough for me."

"Yeah, I'll think of something. I mean, to tell the truth? In my head, I just think of you as…um, _now how the hell do I go about describing this…?_ Hmm…I guess I just think of you as my 'other'…? My other half. Not 'Sis' or 'nee-san', or…well, whatever I'm supposed to think. I know calling you 'onee-san' on occasion always makes you happy, so I say it. But I don't feel it quite that way, really. Don't really feel right callin' Mako that, either. I'm a real hypocrite, right? Satsuki-sama, I just can't get this whole 'family' feeling that normal people have, because that concept is just plain evil in my mind. 'Family' is something to escape, to defeat. Something that toys with me, hunts me down, tortures me, uses me...betrays me. _Hurts me._ But you? I just see you as my soul's other half now! You know, my relationship with Senkets was really hard to pin down, too. I mean, he was this…gosh, this really loving and caring force in my life. He cared for me _so_ much, sometimes even enough to really yell at me! But I needed that sometimes: he cared enough to yell at me _for my own good,_ not for all the stupid and petty reasons I always got yelled at by others! Senkets really loved me, he made me feel so safe…safe to just _be_ myself.  You make me feel that kind of safe! To me, you're just my 'Satsy', and I can be myself around you without you utterly condemning me for it. Look, I know that nickname really chaps your ass, but I can't help it! It is what it is. I hope that isn't, um, insulting or disappointing to you? I really am sorry if that hurts your feelings, me saying it like that…I mean, it's hard to really-"

"No, of course not, Ryuko! I certainly understand your feelings, and can even feel similar sentiments resonating within me as well. Our separate experiences ended up being so very alike, after all. I don't mind it anymore, truly. Well, I suppose that time shall dictate how we feel towards one another, going forward. In f-fact, I…I'd… _ah_ …"

"…what? Go ahead?"

"Ryuko-chan, I need to know something. I apologize if this sounds rude, but…your feelings for me: were they ever…real?"

"Wha-? Whaddaya mean? I've always loved you? I mean, uh, ya know: skipping rrrright past the whole ' _desperately trying to murder you at the Academy_ ' stuff, of course?"

"Yes, but…at one point it was brought up that perhaps the life fibers had been possibly manipulating your physical desires….a-and if that was true, then I cannot take advantage of such a deceitful undermining of our relationship! We haven't really brought it up since everything happened, but…how is it now? How do you…truly feel about me?"

"Oh…that. Um…"

"Look, there's no need for embarrassment. What we did is done. I see no reason to lie about our feelings or past behavior, and I won't harbor any ill will towards you if you wish for our relationship to be purely-I mean, if you no longer feel…romantically inclined towards me? If that was all really just from the life fibers biologically manipulating your subconscious, I'd rather carry on as we perhaps always should have been. Just…as sisters, and nothing more."

"I hadn't really taken the time to consider that angle. Never struck me as a thing I had to address? So…if you're cool with it, then I'll continue to be with you in that way if you want? I do still-"

"It's not about _me_ and _my_ wants, Ryuko! We both know where _my_ predilections lie! None of that was from the fibers…that was just my utterly warped upbringing! Damn it all, Ryuko-chan, I…look, I _know_ I'm damaged goods, and always will be! Curse my soul…yes, I'm attracted to you, and always have been! I always _will be!_ But you…now _you_ have the chance at a blessedly normal life, and I love you too much to demand that you kowtow to _my_ stupid desires! I only ask that you think about it and that you be honest with me when you do answer. All I seek is the actual truth."

"…I still want you."

"That's…you put _no_ thought into that response at all! I don't want your damned pity! I can handle the real truth, I'm not made of porcelain, Ryuko! You should know that by now!"

"But I don't _have_ to think about it, though? I _do_ want you. I don't care why, or where it originated from. _I still want you._ If that's not good enough of an answer for you…then yes, we're done. You want to put it under a microscope and analyze it to death, then go right ahead! I can't imagine being with anyone else. I don't _want_ to be! I love _you_. You make me happy. End. Of. Story! I can't offer you more reassurance than that."

"I…Ryuko, oh I just…forgive me, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to even think anymore, o-or how to feel…"

"Look, I'm scared, too. What happened to us…it's really fucked up. All of it."

" _*tch*_ I never said I was scared…"

"Oh, yeah? Well then that's fucked up, too! Personally, I'm frightened. I've been manipulated, toyed around with, used as a pawn in so many goddamned war games and schemes…I'm not entirely sure who I really _am_ anymore, all right? I've been able to hold onto one thing, just  one damned thing during all this fucking chaos: _I know for a fact you truly love me._ I don't have to question that. I rely upon that fact…it centers me! When I look in the mirror and have a hard time figuring out who I'm supposed to even _be_ anymore, I try to remember your love for me. That love is _real_. You have no idea how much you've helped me, you caring for me the way you do. Ha! You…loving the unlovable! At least that's what I thought, before I met you. I think it's the most honest thing I've ever experienced, ya know? But if you're too uncomfortable with all of this now, then I'd totally understand."

"No, I just-all right, fine...perhaps I _am_ scared! No one else ever needs to hear those words or know of this...this is purely between you and me, understood? Yes, I'll admit it. I'm scared. Scared of losing you, of driving you away. Most of all, I'm terrified of hurting you! I want only to love you, but I'm worried that my love will end up ruining you in the end. Ryuko, you _do_ need someone to care for you, but I've harmed you so very many times before..."

" _*tch!*_ I don't…look, I don't _need_ anyone's love, a'right? I'm tough as nails, always have been. I just…I'd rather be the person I am when we're together, Sats! She's a much better Ryuko than the one who bitterly seals herself off from the rest of the world, ya know? She's a cold, stone-killer bitch! I can _be_ that bitch again, if I need to be. Do I _have_ to be like that again, though? I don't know. That's up to you. All I know is that I can't imagine ever opening up to anyone else again like I have to you. It just ain't worth it, all that pain and heartache. It's so damned  hard for me to-aw, hell. Look, if I can't have _you_ , then I'd just rather…y'know, be alone? Safer that way, I think, for everyone involved."

"You're _not_ alone, Ryuko. You're never alone! I'll never abandon you! I just don't want to hurt you or ruin your life!"

"Ruin-? HA! Oh, please! Get it through yer thick skull! I can do that by my very own self, thank you very much! If I can do anything, it's destroy stuff. Sometimes I think it's all I'm really good at, to be honest."

"No, no! I swear to you that you are the most beautiful of souls! Ryuko-chan, your very presence creates precious miracles! If only I could ever get you to actually see that in yourself!"

"Huh. Yep, that's it. Right there. Now _that's_ the Ryuko I wanna be! Ain't never gonna be anyone else that would think that crazy kinda shit about me. You actually believe that, too…I can totally tell, ya know? It's kinda weird, but I can usually tell when you're bluffing about something these days. I can't quite put my finger on it, but…there it is. That's no joke, considering the career you made outta bluffing all the time, back in the good old Academy days! But I can tell that you really _do_ mean it, you truly believe what you're saying! So why would I ever want to walk away from _that?_ It's legit. It's for real. I can count on it without being afraid that it's just another fucking lie. I can't toss something that damned rare away!"

"I…"

"I don't want to…but I will, if you feel that it's better that way. Satsuki, I don't want to hurt you either, you know. True, you ain't a porcelain princess, but you ain't made of pure steel, either! Not anymore."

"I… _*sniff*_ …l-look, I feel that if I ask you to continue on with me, like we've been doing…it's because I'm being selfish, and that I'm using you as a pawn in my own twisted quest for undeserved happiness. I cannot seek to use anyone like that anymore, especially you! I cannot put you through that kind of scenario again! Don't you see that, Ryuko? You aren't a toy or a weapon to be trifled with…I won't be party to such an infernal scheme!"

"What do I have to do, throw myself at you? Look, I'm out only if you kick me out. I don't want to leave you now, after all we've been through? And I guess to be honest, we would sorta be 'using' each other…but isn't that what people do, when ya really get down to it? Use each other to fortify what needs to be supported? I need your support. I like who we are together. But it ain't worth it if you'll just end up hating yourself! I promise you that I know what I am doing, all right? Ha-ha, I mean as much as I've _ever_ known what I'm doing, I guess? _*sigh*_ Listen, I'll just come right out say it and get it over with, 'kay? _You aren't her._ You'll never _be_ her. I can tell that's what's  really gnawing at you…that fear of becoming just like that bitch Ragyo. That cannot possibly happen. You wanna know why? Go ahead, ask me! But you have to _actually_ ask me, though. Come on, let's hear it."

"… _*sniff*_ …w-why?"

"Why _what?_ "

"Why…won't I…end up l-like her?"

"Because you _actually_ love me. That bitch never did…never could! Her humanity was burned outta her soul a long time ago. Dad couldn't see that until it was too fucking late, and look where it got him! I try so hard not to blame him for that, I really do. But ya see, just like you see this 'miracle worker Ryuko' person in me, I can see the 'stellar example of awesomeness' person that is in you, Satsuki! I can separate who you _really_ are inside versus what damage was done _to_ you…I can, ya know, actually see the breathtakingly beautiful goddess you were _always meant to be_? Because you do the same thing for me every single day, makin' me believe I was somehow a better person than what I feel inside. Like all that awful shit somehow _didn't_ happen to me? You make me feel like…like bein' this way is normal and it's okay. Like _I'm_ okay and not all scarred and fucked up inside? Hell,  you're the real miracle worker here! Me…'normal'? _Ha!_ So yeah, call it fucked up or whatever you want, but I can really relate to that. Uh…no pun intended, of course."

"Ha! No, o-of course not. Look, I'm dreadfully sorry, I don't mean to add to all the confusion, I just…I _don't_ want to lose you, or lose what we have. It's the most precious thing I've ever experienced, and I feel as though I'll never find the likes of it ever again."

"Hey! Funny, that's exactly what I was thinking."

"So…"

"So? Let's stick together. We'll figure it out eventually. Hell, who knows? Maybe we won't be together forever…but we'll always _be_ there for each other forever! But let's just take it as it comes, all right, and see what happens? Gotta get you a new surname, after all? 'Lady Matoi Satsuki'! It's got a certain ring to it! Although I must say, it's not a 'new' surname. It's actually...well, it's kinda used. Or maybe 'refurbished' is a nicer way to put it, at any rate? Oh yeah, and I feel that I should also disclose that it's entirely  fake. Counterfeit! That's probably important to mention. Sure ya still want it plastered all over yer business cards, knowing all that?"

"Yes. More than anything. I've been called 'counterfeit' before. I didn't mind being called a fake by the likes of Ragyo, considering how it ultimately contributed to her undoing."

"Okay, as long as you read the fine print? Don't wanna get sued or whatever."

"Oh heavens, no. I'd rather not sue. I'd settle with you…personally."

"Cool. I was hoping you'd say that. Bring it on."

"I love you so very much, Ryuko-chan."

"Yeah, I was hoping you'd say that, too. I love you too, ya big ol' softie! _Sneak hug attack!_ "

" _*oof!*_ Ah…we…we complete each other."

"Yup! That we do."

"Neither of us will ever be a truly complete individual, I fear. And yet…the whole is other than the sum of the parts. To continue on in life as an incomplete being, while getting other incomplete beings to assist with providing the missing pieces: such is the mission of our most incomprehensible lives, yes?"

"Ya know, I say that allll the time…heck, we've both been blown apart so damned many times, it's a wonder we have any parts _left!_ "

* * *

\- Present day -

A ball of sizzling energy overwhelmed the two clashing figures, the brilliant purple shockwave rippling violently from their murderous strangleholds. It triggered a cascading energy explosion that blew both hybrid women apart with incredible concussive force. The containment chamber had only been designed to house the immense power of one fiber-enhanced creature: the collected energy of two now catastrophically ruptured the structure with overwhelmingly powerful blast waves. The evening news stories would later report it as a localized earthquake tremor, and though it would only be rumored as a possible 4.1 on the Shindo intensity scale, the immediate damage to the underground facility was devastating.

Ryuko's body was violently blasted up against the concrete ceiling, leaving behind a shattered, bloody crater as she then fell, her limp form utterly devoid of consciousness. Satsuki's frame was viciously propelled down through the steel table they had been on, the metal structure collapsing out into a flower of warped shreds as she instantly succumbed to the crush of sudden darkness as well.

The thick metal-reinforced walls of the containment room were shattered, and pulverized concrete detritus could be seen to cover every surface within the destroyed room. The heavy slab of bulletproof observation glass was slightly dislodged as a whole from its massive frame, shot through with innumerable spider web cracks. Blooms of thick dust and choking smoke poured forth from the room's remains, which caused both Inumuta and Mikisugi to be racked with coughing fits.

They both eventually stood up, shaky and dazed from the sudden explosion. Mikisugi tapped briefly at the computer's control panel: it was lifeless, as was most of the surrounding equipment. The emergency lights had miraculously kicked in, so luckily they were not destined to blindly stumble about in total darkness as they sought to determine their current situation.

Hōka motioned to the remnants of the containment room, yelling out an urgent plea as he pointed and gestured at the surrounding mess. A cascade of sparks burst and flared from damaged server mainframes, filling their eyes with stroboscopic images of the surrounding devastation in brilliant white relief. Mikisugi couldn't hear much of anything right now: severe tinnitus was the only hollow shriek that he could audibly detect for the moment. He sheepishly pointed at his ears and shook his head.

Inumuta whipped out his tablet, tapped out a brief message and then hastily showed the temporarily deafened researcher: _'We need to get in there right away!'_

Mikisugi nodded, then motioned for Hōka to follow him. Trudging down the hall, he opened a closet and reached inside. He handed a shovel to Hōka as he hefted an emergency fire axe over his own shoulder. Gesturing towards the pile of rubble, he then shrugged as he started to hack and pry away at the bulging edge of the bulletproof glass slab. Both men worked themselves into a hushed fervor, each praying valiantly for the best, while silently steeling themselves for the worst.

Inside the ruined chamber, all was unnervingly quiet. Concrete dust was settling over all in a hushed rain of atomized debris, the sound of which could have been likened to sprinklings of sand...if one had perhaps somehow been making a sandcastle out of steel, that is. The occasional thud of falling rock or clang of sliding metal punctuated the otherwise calm scene of utter devastation. Both figures had been left mostly nude in amongst the piles of smoking debris, their bloody and tattered clothing all but stripped away by the immensity of the explosion.

Stillness became a void that held only two former combatants within. A tiny fragment of consciousness soon joined another, which slowly but surely formed a frame of cognizant thought through a bleary haze of pain and overwhelming weakness. A pitiful cough was answered by a nearby groan. A hand twitched, pushing in vain against the bent metal bar that pinned it down. A badly bruised foot shuffled weakly, scraping through coarse chunks of slippery gravel as it sought to somehow find purchase on the wreckage-strewn floor. Sporadic coughing fits made it clear to each woman that the other was both alive and somewhat conscious...though they were far too weak to do much of anything about it.

Satsuki's first instinct upon regaining consciousness was simple: she wanted nothing more than to crawl across the floor and wrap her poor Ryuko up into a protective, nurturing shield, but she couldn't muster the strength to even lift her head. She was dangerously weak from blood loss, and any movement would have been considered a small miracle at that point. The jagged slivers of glass and steel shrapnel that decorated her mauled flesh like so many dressmaker pins certainly weren't helping her perilous situation: the slightest movement brought with it searing agony and tortuous throbbing.

Ryuko could hardly move at all, as her energy levels were also left pitifully nullified by their explosive encounter. Nor was her body left unsullied from this encounter, either: sharp chunks of concrete were embedded deeply into her back and a myriad of glass razor shards had forcefully made their way into her body as well. Battered limbs could only twitch and flop uselessly, as they were stubbornly refusing to obey even the slightest commands...there simply wasn't any energy left for them to expend.

Their limp forms then began to sparkle under the dull lights, and one might have been fooled into thinking that the ladies had recently undergone some sort of crazed glitter-related hazing ritual…until one realized the actual source of such unexpected shininess: their bonded life fibers were spending their final moments as semi-sentient creatures by valiantly trying to heal their horrifically injured hosts. A parting gift, one might have been led to believe…it could even have been perceived as an altruistic act from one life form to another. Yet it was merely the instinctual reaction of a symbiotic creature that held above all the ingrained drive to protect their meat puppet vehicles to the bitter end.

One by one, each piece of steel, concrete and glass was slowly being expelled out of broken skin, leaving weak, fading sparkleglows in their place. The oddly musical tinkling of falling glass, rock and metal bits slowly roused the women from their united stupors, neither quite understanding the significance of such a curious soundtrack. As their human consciousness filtered back, their life fibers were retreating, burning themselves out, submitting to their inevitable shutdown as they desperately wove together split flesh and shattered bone. One after another spent its final energy reserves until all inevitably ebbed and succumbed to the hollow call of silence for the last time.

Darkness gave way to glimmers of light, the dull amber emergency bulbs piercing through each figure's pulsing skulls by way of invading their wretched, aching eyeballs. Slowly opening eyes searched haphazardly about the room with increasing worry, then froze as they finally met; visions shaking and blurry at first, then with increasing clarity and focus. Dazzling blue stared lovingly at dazzling blue, each slowly realizing what they were in the process of witnessing.

Kiryuin Satsuki's completely normal human eyes became the very first to ever behold the completely normal human eyes of Matoi Ryuko.

As utterly exhausted as they were from the traumatic experience, the urge to touch one another was now deemed to be overwhelming in nature. One trembling hand reached out for the other, eventually coming together to unite in the middle of their shared debris field. Satsuki became the first to test out her hoarse, desert-dry voice.

"…h-hey."

"…hey, y'self... _*khackh*_...babe..."

"How...d' you…f-feel…Ryuko?"

"Mnmm…ugh. Weird. Sorta...tingly. Like someone parked a _*heff*_ friggin' cement mixer on _*ow!*_ m-my chest. Y-you?"

"F-feels more t' me….like… _*cough*..._ tour bus…full o' ' _Pink Domination_ '…groupies…hah…"

"Oof. I feel ya there…hey, Sats? _*gasp!*_ Your... _oh my God_ , your eyes! They…they're back to bein'-"

"Wha', are they...f-finally back t'…normal, now? Ah…so y'mean…like _yours_ are now, Ryuko-chan?"

" _Wh-_ are…are you _serious?_ My...they, a-are they _really...?_ Ya mean I'm f-finally… _normal?_ "

Satsuki smiled gently, nodding her head slowly as it rested gingerly on a shallow pillow of concrete debris. Ryuko raised trembling fingers to her eyes, mouth parted open in pure shock as she started to quietly release tears of sheer joy. Curling up into a ball, the former hybrid bawled long and hard as she pushed her blessedly normal eyes to the test of tears, desperately grasping out for Satsuki's outstretched fingers as she did so. Words simply could not be formed: years of anguish, abuse and pain poured forth from the young woman's emotional dam as she struggled to come to terms with this most unexpected release from her life fiber sentence, now commuted by fickle fate to live out her life as a normal human being.

Satsuki could only quietly weep as well, sharing in her sister's cathartic release with one of her own. If all of her own life's torture, abuse and unending stress could possibly have been foreseen as leading up to this beautiful crowning moment, it would have gladly been endured a thousand times over...it now served to become the crystalline structure that enshrined this heavenly moment in her mind forever. All of the destruction in the ruined lab, the smoke, rubble and chaos… _none_ of it existed to her in that shining moment. Satsuki was floating in space, cushioned by the exhilarating rush that accompanied the successful rescue of her beloved sister's treasured soul, once again.

What little remaining strength they had was redirected to their hands, where the resulting life-grip was so strong, not even karma itself could possibly separate it.

Through the echoing sounds of sparking, hissing electrical shorts and the still-crumbling scrape of concrete slabs, they could now just barely hear the muffled shouts of their rescuers as they sought to move enough rubble to uncover the truth regarding the sisters' fates. After a long, protracted battle with reinforced concrete, steel and glass debris, the men finally managed to locate the two of them on the floor…both out cold now, but thankfully very much alive, and still clutching at each other's outstretched hand with a life-preserver grasp.

Expressions of peaceful relief could be discerned under the accumulated filth and detritus that had been caked upon their beaten, bloody faces. They had not regrettably perished at each other's throats, after all...they had miraculously survived the fallout of the Kiryuin family curse; all enmity purged from their bodies along with the insidious influence of the alien life fibers.

They were finally _free_.

From above, one could almost make out the discernable yin-yang shape that their limp figures now formed, both girls curled up and opposed to one another, connected by both hand and fate. It was a powerful symbol; a testament to the love and support that they would each represent to the other for the rest of their blessedly normal human lives.

"Hello? Anyone home? Shit, what in the world happened here, eh? Did I miss a hell of a party or what? What's up with all this smoke…? _*snff*_ Do I smell fireworks? Is that ionized air? What, did _lightning_ strike this place or-"

"Sanageyama? Is that you? Oh, excellent! This is most perfect timing! Get your ass down here, I need your help!"

"Inumuta-san? What the hell are _you_ doing here, eh? Science experiment gone wrong or something? Look man, I'm just here to meet Satsuki-sama? She texted me earlier and told me to meet her at this specific address. Um…look here, I was promised ' _a monumental struggle that I wouldn't soon forget!_ ' There, see? That's what her text says, and so here I am, ready to go! I even brought another sword, just in case she-uh, what's so funny?"

"Ha. **Ha!** _Ha!_ Ha-ha-haaa! Yes! Lady Satsuki is a tactical genius to the bitter end! Here now, quickly! We need to perform an emergency blood transfusion: she has been drained of a great deal of blood and is now in grave danger! Now I know your type will work, since you've obviously done this before! Come on, follow me! Downstairs! Her very life depends upon it!"

"Awww, are you kidding me? AGAIN? What the hell went down now?"

"Come on, hurry it up! Ryuko probably needs some, too…but Lady Satsuki is in mortal danger right now! HEY! _MIKISUGI!_ You won't believe this, but a compatible blood donor has _just_ arrived!"

"Really? Such amazing luck! Good, good...get his ass down here, man! No time to waste!"

"Come on, you know the drill. Roll up your sleeves and come with me, Monkey Man. Time to play the hero once again!"

"Yeah, yeah, 'bloody hero', I guess… _*grumble*…_ well, at least I managed to load up on some of my mom's shirataki noodle dumplings before coming over here… _this_ time."

* * *

"Ah. Good morning, Tsumugu."

"Mnnnehhh-what _*ow*_ h-happened? Status report! Is it over?"

"It is over…yes, it's finally over now."

"Did any of them survive?"

"No, they were terminated."

"Damn it all. I was hoping they would have made it. You know, just between you and me? Ryuko wasn't such a bad kid, really…and I guess Satsuki wasn't quite as evil as her superbitch mother, anyways. God, I hate this part of being a soldier! Losing innocent bystanders' lives is always the hardest part of war…"

"The girls are both fine, you big lummox."

" _What?_ But you just said they were-"

"The _life fibers_.  They were nullified…Ryuko and Satsuki are now recovering in the hospital. The sisters are now finally free of the life fibers' influence…for _good!_ "

"They are free of…? Are you _sure?_ I mean, there's always a chance that-"

"I checked myself, and will continue to check for the foreseeable future. Their life fibers are in permanent, irreversible torpor. They cannot be surgically removed, but they also have no way of reactivating, either. Nothing on this planet could possibly reawaken them now. Their energy has been nullified…forever."

"For _ever_ …? Huh. How 'bout that? The final battle over the life fibers, and I was asleep for the whole damned thing! Listen, I have two important pieces of information to tell you. One: I am glad they survived. No one deserves to lose their family in such a terrible manner, not even a Kiryuin. Two: I'm going to the fuckin' bar. I need a damned drink…and a smoke."

"Don't we all, after this mess? Don't we all..."

* * *

"Whoa there, wait, _hold_ up…you mean to tell me that you just jumped in there, full of a lethal _double cure dose_ and just  hoped that I would try to drain you of enough of it through yer blood to cure _me_ , too? Are you completely fuckin' nuts?"

"What can I say? They finally came up with a ' _Life Fibers - Begone!_ ' medication, my dear…you always wished for some of that, now didn't you? I had to convince you to take your proper dose somehow…and you don't like needles."

"Wow…that was _really_ stupid and reckless of you! Since when did the almighty Kiryuin Satsuki ever do something so damned impulsive, huh?"

"Since she was faced with the prospect of forever losing you."

A heated blush followed the sudden hush. Ryuko knew she would end up choking on any response, so none was formed. The soft glow from her cheeks served to warm them both.

They shared parallel hospital beds, strategically placed next to each other as they slowly journeyed on the road to recovery as fast as a human body could heal. Which in this case, meant weeks and weeks of ponderously slow progress…but they didn't mind one bit. As far as they were concerned, they had earned a nice, long vacation from the entire damned world, since they had both somehow managed to heroically save it.

Again.

This golden silence was eventually broken, however; Ryuko quickly grew fidgety from holding hands with her beloved savior…and of course, the ever-present itchiness from the casts wasn't helping things, either.

"So, uh...how ya feelin' today? I noticed they aren't kidnappin' ya all the time for those stupid brain scans anymore?"

"Better! No intracranial swelling anymore, thankfully. Concussions are always such a terrible experience, of course. That nausea medication is finally working to keep it at bay, so rest comes easier to me now. Yourself?"

"Ah, you know. I'm a tough cookie. Although I will say this out loud: fuck wearing casts! It's drivin' me nuts! _Rrrr-_ so friggin' itchy! Rrrgh, I'm not exactly lookin' forward to seeing an oral surgeon, either...but teeth are apparently 'important for your health' after all, right? You're _so_ lucky those pearly whites of yours are still picture perfect; I have to get some goddamned fake tooth implants now! I'll just add that fact to my 'almost secret personal jealousy' list. _*sigh*"_

"You may be surprised to discover that I already have a few artificial teeth of my own, you know. You aren't alone there."

"Huh? Ya do? Oh gosh, I never knew tha-oooh, shit. I'm so sorry."

"Well, it was to be expected. I suppose I did graduate from 'Kiryuin Ragyo's School of Hard Knocks' way before I set foot upon Honnoji's hallowed grounds. Never mind that now. You were saying?"

"Er…right. So my life fibers are all blown to hell now, but obviously you know that. They used up the very last of their powers to heal me one last time. Sounds like you got a similar treatment, I guess? At least there's just barely enough of 'em left over to power my stupid heart! Ohhh yeah, although I _do_ apparently have some weird cardiac arrhythmia of some kind now, I guess? The last little scraps of those stringy fuckers, they just ain't quite workin' right anymore. My heart skips like a hyper preschooler now. I'll be on, uh...some beta blocker somethin' or other...I dunno, some weird sounding heart medications for the rest of my life, or so I've been told. Oi! See that? You finally succeeded in breakin' my damned heart, Satsy!"

" _Hmph._ Always a risk of that happening, I think. You knew what you were getting into, dealing with me."

"Yeah, I did. I shoulda remembered the number one rule of the streets: _'mess with the bitches, gonna need stitches'!_ Hell, I practically wrote that rule! Totally worth it, though. To me, a busted heart's way better than a lonely one. Well, at least I still got you...right, my beautiful 'heartbreaker'?"

Satsuki nodded weakly, a thin smirk upon her features as she playfully punched Ryuko's shoulder. She sighed as she studied her tired reflection in a nearby medical machine's shiny steel surface. Thick gauze bandages still covered the stitches in her slim neck.

" _Hmph._ Looks like I'll need to plan on employing fashionable scarves with my outfits for the rest of my life, hmm? Damn it all. Just when my old neck scar had been healed for me, I went and earned yet another one! Apparently my fibers just couldn't stick around long enough to fully heal these last, terrible gashes…ah, that's typical Kiryuin luck for you! Such is life, I suppose. Scars are a sign of survival, and that is what we do! We survive."

"Hell, yes. Hey, at least the rest of your old injuries are gone though, right? Like your poor hand, fer example? Oh, and especially that…t-that _cancer_. Uhmm...Satsuki-sama, I don't even know what to say about that. I mean, I…you could have… _*sniff*_ …if things had turned out just a little bit differently, you would have _died_ from that for certain!"

"Don't fret about that now, dear heart. Besides, I didn't emerge from this entirely unscathed. It turns out that I was diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, after all. All that back pain…it turns out that it wasn't entirely from old battle injuries. I had just assumed that it was from my inability to heal properly after my time in that ghastly torture cage! I suppose I am to blame for this. I never sought to properly consult a doctor about it, or the stomach pain either. Or, well…just about anything else, I suppose. I was just so damned busy! _*tsk!*_ The toll of my fanaticism…what an utter  fool I was."

"Eh? Your activated fibers didn't heal that up too? How come?"

"Ah. I presume they weren't active within my body quite long enough to heal everything that originally plagued my normal human body. It would have taken quite a while for them to straighten out my spine like that. Look, don't you worry about it. My life fibers _did_ manage to alleviate some of it by the end, so I'm much better off now than I once was! There are therapies available, and it's not so bad right now. In time, I will be able to properly live with it. I just never really examined my own back in the mirror, I mean who ever does _that_? I always knew what unsightly scars were lurking there from my initial life fiber implantation, and I certainly didn't wish to seek out daily reminders! Those scars…it is obvious by now that they shall always be there; since they were never healed by my awakened life fibers, I theorize that they could only heal injuries from after their surgical introduction to my biological system? I never thought of it beyond that, never even considered...! I ignored _all_ of the pain and figured I'd just…well, deal with it later. You know. Down the road?"

"Yeah, sure…down the road. Well, Satsuki, here we are at the end of that road...at least this horrible journey is over now, right? The world is finally safe, so now you get to focus one hundred percent on caring about yourself! Ain't no reason for you to be in pain any longer. No more ignoring stuff like that, 'kay? Ya _hear_ me over there, 'Lady Stubborn Britches'? Doctors exist for a reason!"

"Will you _please_ stop-! Ah, no. Sorry. You're...absolutely right, of course. I will need to find a way to be more attentive to my own needs. I blatantly ignored just about every ill I suffered, I suppose. All I ever cared about was keeping up my peak performance and getting maximum results. Pain was to be ignored at all costs; to even think otherwise was a sure sign of weakness for Ragyo to detect! In retrospect, I'm surprised I didn't just completely fall apart after we finally defeated that monster. My body was surely held together by pure willful defiance alone! _*tsk*_ Headstrong to the point of sheer pigheadedness! How could I have been so damned shortsighted, Ryuko?"

"Yeah well, you shouldn't be a stranger to doctors, I guess. Now you know better! Hey, speaking of which…you notice how much Mikisugi has changed recently? He hasn't even so much as hit on me while we've been here! I haven't even caught him staring at my tits at all, and that's like a small miracle! He's acting like a _real_ doctor all the time, all polite and professional and stuff? Why do you suppose  that is, huh?"

"Ah, well. People do change, Ryuko-chan. Who knows? Perhaps he has finally matured as a person? It _can_ happen, you know."

"Yeah, riiiight. You straight up threatened his ass, didn't ya?"

"Heavens, no! He _is_ our primary care physician, after all. Well, as far as our dead life fibers are concerned, anyway. We'll need to be monitored for the rest of our lives, you realize…only he can properly do that."

"Oi, all right. Well, it's a small price to pay…I can put up with that, I guess. Still, he's acting so different, all of a sudden? Huh. I wonder what happened to him…"

"Well…perhaps I had a _few_ choice words with the man."

"A-ha! So you _did_ threaten him! I knew it!"

"I did not 'threaten' him. I merely reminded him of the importance of honesty, that's all. Once I pointed out that poor Kinue would not have approved of his disingenuous behavior, the rest just worked itself out. Let's just say that I don't think you'll be blinded by anything 'pink and glowing' any time soon."

"Eh? No kidding? That was…aw man, now I kinda feel sorry for him? Gosh, if her death affected him _that_ much, he musta been hurtin' something fierce inside! He's not really a bad guy, ya know, under that pervy exterior. Uh, don't tell him I _said_ that, of course."

"He'll work it out, I'm sure of it. Look, everyone we know has had their lives affected by the life fibers. As far as I'm concerned, everyone was a true hero, when it really came down to it."

"Yeah, I guess that's true. Hey, maybe I'll help, ya know…'cheer him up' someday? I know of a few ways I could thank him..."

"You _cannot_ be serious."

"Why not? He's kinda cute, under all that shininess. He does have a killer body…"

"You seriously find him to be attractive? Him? That obnoxious Lite-Brite buffoon?"

"Ya know, I said I liked guys, too! Hmm, I know my way around a cock…maybe I'll just…drop to my knees one day, and look him riiiight in the eyes while I…unzip his pants? Then, I'll sloooowly work my way towards his shiny, glowing, _throbbing-_ "

"OHGODSABOVE _STOP!_ I don't want to hear any more of this, Ryuko! Look, it's your life, do what you will, I won't stop you…but do _not_ contaminate my mind with your sick, slutty fantasies!"

"Heh…I was totally kidding, Sats."

"You-wait, _what?_ "

"I was kidding. I just wanted to be ' _blinded by something pink and glowing_ '. Your blushing cheeks just so happen to fit the bill, that's all. See? Those cheeks, riiiight there. Oh, damn! Lookin' like a nice impression of a fire engine there, Satsy! Nice one! Hee-hee! Oh, it's too damned easy!"

"Why, you insidious little bitch! I'll-here then! En garde! _Hyaaa!_ "

"Ack! Shit! Where'd you get that tongue depressor?! Ow! Fuck, I'm unarmed! Ah! Ack! Ow! Don't make me…a-ha, here! Take this!"

"Ow! Watch it! Are you sure you want to test _my_ legendary reflexes with that puny little rubber hammer?"

"Self-defense! It's in self-defense! I didn't start this fight!"

"Oh, but you did! You started it by…ugh, by _shitting_ that awful image into my mind!"

"Aw, come on. It was more like 'spitting', if ya know what I mean _…*shlurp-shlurp-sluuurp-_ _ptui_ _!*_ "

"Augh! **_RYUKO!_** Damn your filthy mind to hell!"

"Ah-ha-ha-ha-haaa! Ow! H-hey, what can I say?! I was cold, and yer cheeks just warm me right up if I give 'em some embarrassment fuel! Yowch!"

"Oh, so you're _cold_ , you say? You know what will keep you nice and warm, Ryuko? _A complete body cast!_ Here, let me arrange it for you! Hyaaa!"

"Ah! Yowch! Mercyyyy!"

"No! _No escape for you, Matoi!_ "

"Ah…uh, w-wait. _What_ did you j-just say?"

"Eh? I merely said-what's this all about? What's wrong with you…? Why are you looking at me like that? I didn't actually hurt you, did I? It's just a silly tongue depressor, I didn't jab you _that_ hard, I'm certain of it!"

"N-no, it's…not _that_ …I j-just…n-never mind. I… _*ah-huh*_ I-I'm just so tired, Satsuki. I just…I'm… _*sniff*…_ look, I really _love_ you, 'kay? I swear, I-"

"Ryuko-chan, please don't cry! I'm sorry! What did I _do?_ I don't understand? Tell me what's wrong?"

"I...look, I just remembered something really bad. _*sniff*_ You…that…um…I just now r-remembered you saying that phrase to me when you grabbed me in the house, that night we fought and you almost t-tore out my red streak? That's w-what you said to m-me…"

" _*gasp*_ Oh no, I am so sorry. You're _right_ , I remember that now. Ryuko-chan…? Sweetheart? Look, I am so terribly sorry about that. Please forgive me, I'm- _oh, curse my soul._ We have so many damned issues to deal with, even now! Will we ever stop hurting each other, I wonder? Look, are you…all right? I can probably get up and come over there to comfort you…unless you perhaps want me to leave for a while instead? I think I can probably do that too, I suppose…give you some space to breathe, away from me."

" _No! Don't leave me!_ Please! I'm just being _dumb_ , it'll pass…I-I'm okay, it was just a really bad flashback, I guess. It was…oh man, it hurt _so_ damned much, that night! Don't worry, I ain't blamin' you, I swear! Please, just stay here with me? _Don't leave._ "

"I promise you, Ryuko. I'm not going anywhere. Ever."

"Just…promise that you still love me?"

"Of _course_ I love you! You are the radiant star that lights up my heavens!"

"I…wow. Really?"

"Yes, Ryuko-chan. You are everything to me."

"Okay…that's good to hear. I just…y'know, things got _really_ bad between us, and I wasn't sure if we could ever actually move on after the shit we did to each other. I mean, fuck! How _could_ I…in the garage, that piece of metal! Damn it, I just shoved it right through your-"

"Ryuko! Just stop that! Beating yourself up is not going to solve anything, all right? Yes, it was a very difficult time in our lives. Listen, when you raced out of the garage on your bike that night, I sincerely feared that I would never see you alive ever again! Only the thought of saving you kept me going at that point, otherwise I could have just curled up in a damned ball and waited for death to claim me! But I kept going…and I _saved_ you. And I'll keep going, and I'll keep saving you…always and forever! You are what propels me forward, sweet girl! Do you hear me? You are my very life!"

" _*sniff*…_ I love you so much, Satsuki-sama! Gawd, I suck so bad at this. I'll get better at coping with this kind of shit, I swear to you I will."

"We both will, dear heart. We have quite a journey ahead of us. Remember, just because the life fibers are gone now doesn't mean our battle is over! We shall have to find a way to persevere through the fallout they have regrettably caused. I'll _always_ need your help, and you'll _always_ need mine! Think about it. We beat Ragyo together. We beat the life fibers together. There is nothing we cannot defeat…together! Are you still with me, Ryuko? Can I count upon you to be at my side?"

"Yeah, of course. I'm with ya…always."

"Then _nothing_ can stop us from finding true peace. I love you, Ryuko."

"I love you too, Satsuki. We are a team…forever!"

"Indeed, we are. A very _*yawn*_ tired team. Are you ready to go to sleep now?"

"Oh, thank heaven. I was afraid that you wanted to maybe continue our round of chess, and I just can't even think straight right now. I am so wiped! Oi, so you wanna know one funny thing I noticed about being free from the life fibers, after having them inside me all my life?"

"What's that, dear?"

"Well, I was just realizing that I've never been _really_ sick. I think the fibers always kept me from getting really bad colds and the flu and stuff, ya know? And I noticed that I've been kinda feelin' all funky and weird since getting here, and I… _*sniffle*_ …I… _*ACHOOO*_ …uhh…aw, fugoff...I tink I bight be gedding by fiwst agtual cowd? Sowwy, Sadzki... _*sniff*_ Eww, gross…"

"First lesson: learn to look _away_ from people when you sneeze, will you, Ryuko? And please pass me a damned _paper towel_."

"Well, uhh…we share everything now, right? And we're already in the hospital? So it's like a perfect time for us to bond over being normal humans agai-"

"Shut **up** , Matoi! You make me sick…in this case, literally."

"Uh, I'm the gift that keeps on giving, I guess…heh-heh-heh?"

 _*sigh*_

* * *

\- Six months later -

"Awright, it's about damned time we got around to doing this! Hey, wanna make a wager, huh? I'll betcha he straight-up faints!"

"Utter nonsense! Ira is certainly made of sterner stuff than that! He will take it all in stride, as usual. I will not let him refuse this, either. I care not for his pride in this particular endeavor. He deserves this!"

"Uh-huh. Fainting. Calling it now."

"Oh, ye of little faith, Ryuko. You just watch! My 'shield' can and will withstand _anything_ I throw at him!"

" _*snort*_ Whateeever you say, boss lady."

The transport truck beeped as it reversed into the automotive garage's driveway, with the Mercedes following close behind. Satsuki went on to supervise the delivery details as Ryuko darted inside to retrieve the blonde behemoth…and she wasn't entirely surprised to see him already exiting the main office door, befuddled look upon his face as he wiped grease from his huge hands onto his coveralls.

"Er…Lady Matoi? I wasn't aware you were stopping by today? What is that truck doing here? Is that a vehicle in need of repairs...?" He eyed the rear of the truck as it started to lower a blue tarp covered package down onto the asphalt. It was obvious that it was a vehicle of some sort, although Ira couldn't quite place the type or model. It was oddly rounded and bulbous, whatever it was. Fat sports tires were seen peeking out from underneath…what sort of vehicle was this, anyway?

"Hey there, Ira-san. Ah, just dropping off a...well, obviously a car, that's all. Listen, it ain't my idea, this was all part of Satsuki's scheme. You'll have to hit her up if ya want answers...c'mon! She wants to see you, like right now."

His eyes grew wide. "L-Lady Satsuki is here as well? She...she's never come to the garage before! I...I had no idea! Why, I must change right away to be more presentable, I'm filthy from performing menial repair tasks!"

Ryuko covered her smirking lips as she watched him nervously gibber and stutter at the shame of being caught working at his own workplace by Lady Satsuki herself. Oh, the _horror_. She clapped one hand upon his enormous shoulder as she tried to reassure the giant greasy gorilla.

"Too late, big guy. Her ladyship demands your presence, and that's an order! Come on, ya big lug! This won't take too long."

"Er...but I...at least let me change into-"

His whining was cut off as Satsuki came out from around the corner of the truck, signing paperwork on a clipboard as she eyed the delivery with her most critical eye. Looking up suddenly, she broke out into a cheery smile as she caught sight of the towering man, pushed reluctantly into place by Ryuko as she prodded him to answer the summons.

"Ah. There you are, old friend! I sincerely hope we're not interrupting anything important, but I wanted this to be something of a surprise." Gamagōri immediately knelt in front of her, overwhelmed by her radiant presence.

"MILADY! Please forgive my most disgraceful appearance! I was caught unaware by your surprise visit! I most humbly beg for your forgiveness." His head bowed down in deepest reverence, it took a moment or two before he realized that Satsuki's outstretched hand was hovering in midair, patiently awaiting his acknowledgement. Ira slowly looked up and stared curiously at the hand, as though it were a mysterious artifact being offered to a primitive tribesman for the very first time.

Satsuki motioned her fingers towards herself in a flurry of reserved yet cheerful indignance. "Come on, cut that out. Up. Come with me, my friend." Ira looked at the pale, alabaster palm, perfectly manicured nails gleaming under the sunlight...then glanced at his own rough mitt, dirty with rust flakes and greasy oil. Torn between duty and respect, he quietly protested as he started to curse the fact that his shop towels were sitting in a neat stack upon his workbench and he hadn't the common courtesy to bring a single one with him! Idiot!

Sighing, Satsuki reached down and seized his palm, dragging him up to a standing position as he weakly sputtered and protested. "Gamagōri-san, I care not for the condition of your hand. I will gladly shake it, no matter the cost! You see, I owe you my very life, many times over. It's time I properly recognized that fact! I am truly honored to be able to shake hands with the one who pledged to always shield me from my life's terrible folly."

Ira stuttered out a red-faced reply, stumbling and tripping over simple syllables as his hand was firmly shaken by Lady Satsuki's strong grasp. " _*ahem*_ Y-yes, Milady. O-of course, I understand! Why, I'm honored that _you're_ honored!"

Ryuko snorted loudly at this as she turned and trotted towards the garage door, shaking her head the entire time. "Whatta total goofball! Melts like putty in her hands! I swear…" she muttered under her breath as she sought out a particular item or two from the shop's vast interior.

Ignoring her sister's callous disrespect, Satsuki gestured towards the mystery object under the blue tarps. "Ira-san, I'd like to present to you a gift. This is a token of my appreciation for all of your life's hard work and dedication... _however!_ I must warn you that there are  rules involved with accepting such a gift! Is this understood?"

He straightened up, one fist over his heart as he solemnly pledged his word. "Milady! On my honor I swear that I shall follow your requirements to the last letter! This, I faithfully vow to you on this very day! I shall not betray your faith in me, Lady Satsuki-samaaaa!"

Lady Satsuki stiffened up as she barked out orders to her former disciplinary chairman...old habits died hard, indeed. "Very well. Here are my rules. You shall use this vehicle only at the location of my choosing. There is a private racetrack about forty kilometers from here. I have already made arrangements for this vehicle to be permanently stored there in a properly maintained storage environment. You shall use _all_ appropriate safety gear at _all_ times while operating this vehicle, including but not limited to an approved race helmet! It is not legal for use on public streets at all, so it _must_ be restricted to use on said racetrack! Is this perfectly clear?"

Ira blinked, then darted his eyes to the car, then to Satsuki. His deep voice was tinged with a quizzical tone as he affirmed his understanding of the orders so far. "Yes, I believe so...but what exactly is the nature of such a vehicle, if it is to be treated in such a manner? It sounds most unusual, indeed?" Satsuki whirled around, looking for Ryuko as she sought out her assistance. She located her wayward sibling just as she appeared from behind Ira, metal folding chair in one hand and fresh shop towel in the other.

Satsuki cocked her head curiously, and then immediately dismissed any lingering questions as she motioned towards the car. Business first, questions later! "Ryuko, could you be so kind...?" One thumbs-up later, and Ryuko was zipping back and forth, releasing latches and straps as the tarpaulins were loosened from the car's frame. The vehicle's form gradually revealed itself to Ira's wondering eyes as the tarps fell away and Satsuki clinically droned on about the car's details. Lady Satsuki read from the paperwork on her clipboard, a monotonous matter-of-fact tone obfuscating her impending excitement at the big reveal.

"Here, now. This particular vehicle happens to be a rather rare specimen, it's a one-of-a-kind! It's also extraordinarily fast and powerful, so utmost care _must_ and _shall_ be used during its operation! I cannot stress that enough, Ira! This is a...here, let me see now... _*tsk* damn it, wish I had remembered to bring my reading glasses_...ah-ha! Here we are. This is an American 'muscle car': a 1966 Shelby Cobra. A '427 Super Snake' edition, number CSX 3015… _hmm,_ _whatever that means_...apparently there's only one of these left in existence, since the only other one like it was apparently driven straight off a _cliff!_ My goodness…how very foolish. Now I know of your affinity towards American cars, and I don't wish to engage you in yet another pointless battle of stubbornness when it comes to offering financial assistance with fixing your poor Cadillac! So I have therefore decided to gift you another vehicle entirely. Argument _over_ , in my opinion! I also don't want to hear any protests over the price, so I'm hereby _ordering_ you to accept this gift from me! Look here, Ira-san, I'm told that this thing has over eight _hundred_ horsepower, and I don't wish to discover that I made a grievous mistake in giving you such a powerful vehicle! So I feel it is absolutely appropriate that I should iterate once more that your adherence to these rules is absolutely non-negotiable- _*gasp*_ G- _Gamagōri-san?_ "

He slumped down suddenly, back into the recently unfolded metal chair provided by Matoi Ryuko; grinning idiot and cheerful provider of one pink tongue, deliriously stuck out in triumph towards her unbelieving sibling. She delicately padded the shop towel upon his delirious brow with one hand as she slowly extended a middle finger towards Satsuki with the other.

Only Ryuko could pack such sting into so few words.

" _Told ya so._ "

* * *

\- One year later -

The sight was surreal, to say the least. A well-dressed elder gentleman sat on the couch, a nonplussed expression on his weathered face as a drooling youngster sprawled awkwardly across his lap. She was fast asleep, having suddenly reached an invisible energy wall that dropped her with the effectiveness of a hurled tranquilizer needle.

"Ah, sorry about that, Soroi. Do ya want me to grab her? Jun gets that way sometimes; she just, y'know, uses up all her energy when she's too excited and…splat!" Ryuko made a motion to detangle the child from his person until he held up one resolute palm to gently defer her gesture for the time being.

"Nonsense, Lady Ryuko. The girl is a sheer delight to behold! I'll not disturb her rest now. Truth be told, it does bring back some rather fond memories..." Soroi grinned slightly, his dark eyes focusing upon a distant story or two in the past. Ryuko smirked mischievously, then oh-so-casually checked over Satsuki's perfectly poised posture for any minute traces of self-conscious fidgeting.

Tea cup still perfectly hovering before her, the hostess showed no outward reactions as a crude sibling-generated snort made itself known in the living room. "Aw, are you remembering what a demanding little fussbucket Satsuki must have been as a toddler? Gosh, I sure hope the lil' dictator didn't run you _too_ ragged, back in those days!"

Soroi handled the derisive comment with all the decorum of a seasoned household veteran. "Actually, I recall that Lady Satsuki was quite the delightful child. She was always polite, with a keen sense of wonderment and curiosity about her. Always reading, always wanting to learn all she could of the world around her. I cannot honestly say that she was ever a difficult child, really."

The delicate clink of porcelain signaled Satsuki's foray into the topic. She smoothed out the hem of her skirt, then nodded towards the old man as he gazed wistfully upon little Jun's slumbering, peaceful expression.

"I was fortunate enough to have you to guide me through such harsh times. Soroi, I could not have accomplished what I did without your steadfast and unrelenting support."

"It was my solemn duty, Lady Satsuki...but it was also my sincere honor as well. Of course, I chose to never have children myself, in lieu of serving the Kiryuin household. Yet I feel as though I have perhaps fulfilled my caretaker's role in life anyways, given to me by fate. Well...that, and by your late father, of course."

One eyebrow cocked up into a curious arch, Satsuki briefly paused as she regarded her long time servant. "Oh? How do you mean, Soroi?"

Quietly clearing his throat, the elder gentleman offered his innermost thoughts. "Ah. Begging your pardon, milady. That is to say, it was indirectly requested of me to look after you in his stead, should anything unsavory befall his own person. Your father was, if anything, a rather clever man with his mind set firmly upon the future. He made it more or less clear to me that I was to take a personal interest in your own upbringing. I don't believe he had much faith in your mother doing right by his memory. This suspicion, of course, was certainly obvious by the time he was forced to take leave of yourself. I think he already suspected something quite dire was being plotted at that point, looking back. Once he satisfactorily ascertained my true allegiances to your family, he bade me to then look out for you, in whatever manner I possibly could. I followed his wishes to the very best of my humble abilities, milady."

Satsuki leaned back as she thoughtfully regarded his words. "I see. I wasn't aware that he communicated anything like that to you before he disappeared. I always thought that it was so sudden, that he had no prior warnings to plan against? And here I thought all this time that it was merely _my_ words alone that had swayed you over to my secret cause!"

Soroi nodded respectfully as he quietly admitted the truth. "I had already been won over by your father's words, milady. You merely affirmed the truth within your own heart to me. I knew then that I had to support you in your quest. It was the right thing to do in the face of such madness. If I may be so bold as to say, I do believe that your father would have been quite proud of you."

Satsuki's eyes clouded over, recalling the sentiments she had observed in her dear father's personal journals. ' _Proud? Of my decisions, my actions?_ _Comfort cannot be so easily found in such a statement…'_

"I don't know. Perhaps. I could have handled things better, I suspect. I was notoriously cruel in my methodology. I'm not sure he would have approved of such soulless tactics."

"Milady, it was an impossibly complicated situation that was entrusted to a young child. It is a fortunate thing for the world that this child was you! I am certain that your father would have eventually felt vindicated in trusting you with such a task…even if he had no way of ascertaining your true goals. I would also go so far as to state that I have always been impressed by your peerless acumen and drive to succeed at any cost. In my humble opinion, you were born to save this planet…and you did so with grace and dignity."

A slight blush ghosted over her cheeks as Satsuki processed these thoughts. "While I do appreciate the sentiment, I cannot agree that anything was accomplished with 'dignity' or 'grace'. I was a dirty, underhanded tactician. I employed the most distasteful of tactics in my quest to destroy my mother once and for all. My soul was affected by her rotten presence more than I care to admit. It was sheer, dumb luck that we succeeded at all! I was fortunate to have surrounded myself with the most competent of individuals…and that Ryuko of all people had appeared from the shadows to challenge us all! This was the true secret to the success of my war campaign; it was a _very_ fortunate group effort. I'm just thankful that there wasn't some sort of public coup to remove me from my position! That others had absolute faith in me: this was my saving grace. Looking back, I'm a bit surprised that you put up with my domineering ways at all!"

Soroi raised his hand, an impulsive motion to cut off Satsuki's self-deprecating train of thought. His deeply-engrained servant training kicked in immediately, so he quickly abolished the idea of arguing the point with his long-time leader. It troubled him so to see Lady Satsuki in such a state of self-doubt, but he was mortified at the very idea of providing a wall of resistance, even if she was being obstinately misguided in her reasoning.

"Ah, but only you could have provided the exemplary leadership we needed to succeed! You were born unto that role, and I do most emphatically believe that-hmm?"

Soroi then looked down to see a pair of eyes peeping up at him, watching with rapt attention his every move and expression. Upon noticing the youngster's spying, she blushed and smiled shyly, giggling a bit as she did.

"Hello, Uncle Soroi."

"Ah! Why hello, Lady Jun! How are you feeling after your nap, milady?"

"But Soroi! I'm not a _lady!_ " She then locked eyes with the elder servant and conspiratorially leaned in, in order to share her deepest thoughts. A whisper told him all he needed to know regarding the situation.

" _I think I have to be ten before you can say that._ "

His eyes opening wide at this, Soroi gasped as he admitted to the depth of his social etiquette fault. "Good heavens, I am terribly sorry and beg your pardon, young miss! How shall I call you, then?"

She shrugged, squinted hard at her magic thinking spot for a moment, then stated matter-of-factly "Hmm. Well…Mamayuko calls me 'Jun Bug'. I guess you can call me that?"

Soroi then, too, squinted at his _own_ thinking spot (which he didn't even know he possessed until Jun showed him the way), then regretfully provided a solemn apology. "I'm afraid I cannot do that, milady. I simply _must_ address you with the proper respect due to your station in life! Proper decorum demands it! May I please call you 'Miss Jun' until such a time that I may call you a lady?"

"Umm…'kay. But only _you_ can call me that, all right?"

"Very well then, Miss Jun. It is a deal." With this, he offered his hand in agreement, which Jun then grabbed and shook gently. Ryuko and Satsuki exchanged glances, whereupon they both shrugged in surrender. Ryuko reached out and scratched Jun's head, flopping her hair around as she addressed the young dealmaker.

"Wow kiddo, you sure do drive a hard bargain, eh?"

"Mamasassy told me to _never_ settle for how people treated me unless I was happy with the results. Um, did I do it right?" Satsuki briefly regarded the youngster with a critical eye, then smiled as she gently nodded.

"Indeed you did. You made your feelings known to the other party, then you worked towards a proper resolution. I am most proud of you, my dear."

The beaming smile emanating from the young girl could have rivaled Satsuki's shiniest moment of glowing triumph. Jun enthusiastically fist-pumped in the air, then growled out a guttural "Awesooommmmeee!" Satsuki's surprised eyebrows shot up so quickly that Ryuko almost choked on her own laughter.

"Omigod Sats, your face! Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Ryuko then surprise-tickled the giddy youngster as Satsuki tried in vain to recompose her steady state. Soroi did his very best stone-faced routine, but Satsuki could tell that he was rather amused by the spectacle, even though he knew better than to actually admit to it out loud to the former warlord.

"Okay, kiddo. Time for bed! Allllll aboard the express trip to Bedroom Junction! Whoosh!" Ryuko swept up the giggling youngster, who shyly beckoned goodbye to Uncle Soroi. He nodded primly and waved back, smiling gently as the young girl was noisily driven to her evening destination by Captain Matoi.

"Ah, I see that Lady Ryuko is quite good with children!"

"Mmm. I would agree. It seems to bring out a certain sort of gentle cheeriness in her. It suits her quite well. I do believe it has done her some good, considering the darker aspects of her sullen past. I will admit I had some misgivings about adoption, but now that I have seen the positive side of child rearing, it has been a most rewarding experience for me as well. I acquiesce to her in most things regarding Jun's upbringing. She has an empathic, nurturing quality that I cannot hope to match."

"Nonsense, milady! It just takes some time to attune your behavior to the needs of the child, that's all. Why, I was more challenged by caring for Iori than your own self! You certainly needed no coddling! You were born to be a natural leader, milady!"

"Hmm. So I was, wasn't I… _*ahem*_ …well! Enough about that. Please tell me; how was your vacation, Soroi?"

"Ah yes, it was truly delightful! My first extended vacation in over thirty-one years…I felt that I had to make up for lost time, so I visited all the countries that ever struck my fancy! Thirteen countries, each as fascinating as the next! Perhaps one day when you have time, I shall present to you a short visual synopsis of my journeys. I was quite the photographer in my youth, you know. It all just fell back in place once I learned how to use my new camera! Now I shan't bother you with all the dreadful details; I shall provide a succinct yet informative presentation so as not to bore you and yours, milady. Ah, the stories I must share with you! It was such a wonderful time."

"Indeed! I look forward to it. Perhaps you should come back to work now, once you are settled in from your trip? We have dearly missed your presence in our household."

"Er…begging your pardon, milady, but was I not sent away, like all the other servants and staff? I was of the understanding that my services were no longer required."

"Wha-heavens, _no!_ They were all  freed! I let everyone go because I felt that they had suffered enough under my mother's maniacal whims! Of course I kept some people on as employees of the RECOVER Foundation, but everyone else did receive sizeable severance packages! I saw to it! I can only imagine what they must have experienced, working for… _her_. But I had been laboring under the impression that  you knew you weren't _just_ my employee! I didn't really expect you to take your leave with all the others…"

"I see. May I inquire as to why did you not express your desire for me to stay at that time, milady? Surely you know I would have been glad to stay on if you so desired it."

"Well, I suppose had assumed that you just needed some personal time to decompress after all the tumultuous events that had befallen everyone, after Ragyo was defeated and the Academy was shut down. I felt that it was improper to bring up the subject of your duties at such a time. I _did_ want you to take some time off, since you had always refused to do so before and it was so very overdue. I was so glad when you then announced your plans for an extended sightseeing trip! I will admit that I also felt that it was an opportune moment to introduce the concept of personal responsibility to Ryuko, as well. I had her in mind for the position she currently holds, but she wasn't in the right frame of mind to take on such responsibilities. I felt that since you were to be away for an extended period of time, I could seek to build up her work ethic in the meantime! But then, when I learned that you had packed up all your belongings and moved out of the servant's quarters, I felt that…perhaps it was better for everyone involved if you were afforded the chance to seek out your _own_ happiness, instead of being forever chained to the Kiryuin name. I have asked so very much of you in my day, and I just…I…oh Soroi, you have sacrificed _so_ very much of your own personal life just to assist with mine! I didn't want to be so selfish anymore. I thought that retiring from serving this ill-fated family was what you truly wanted…"

"Ah. Lady Satsuki, I owe you my deepest apologies. I seem to have misread the situation as it was presented to me. I believed that you were of the opinion that you required no further assistance, and that my usefulness as your personal servant was at an end. I should have made the effort to fully understand your thoughts regarding the matter. I have tried to act with only the best intentions in mind, yet I have inadvertently caused you some turmoil anyways! Please accept my most sincere apologies for my rash and inconsiderate actions."

"No, no! Soroi, you were not at fault. It was my inept handling of the situation that is to blame. I had assumed that you knew how I felt about your continued presence, and I had not properly considered the ramifications of allowing you to leave my employ without making the necessary efforts to retain you! No, what I _should_ have done is made it perfectly clear that I  need you in my li-ah… _*cough*_ …er, that is, my thoughts were more concerned with granting you the ability to choose your own path, rather than being selfish by prioritizing my own desires! I should have stopped and realized that I was being inconsiderate of your own-"

Creeping back silently into the room to observe the drama as it unfolded before her, Ryuko quietly followed this conversation back and forth with a bemused, questioning expression. She finally reached the point where she couldn't hold her devilish tongue back any longer, and so Ryuko interrupted their conversation by blurting out a brash comment in disbelief of Satsuki's utter cluelessness.

"Ugh. Seriously, Sats? How can you spend so much time around someone and yet be so damned oblivious? Ain't it obvious that good ol' Soroi here's been lookin' out fer you like he woulda done fer his _own_ kid over the years? Shit, he practically _was_ yer dad for the most part while you were growing up, yeah? Wasn't he? I mean, it seems pretty obvious to me that you miss him because of _that_ , not some 'sense of duty' bullshit! Come on, Soroi, back me up here...am I right, or what?"

The Kiryuin family servant balked at this, with his normally unflappable reserve being just a bit shaken at such an unexpectedly blunt observation. "Why, I _never_ implied that I was...Lady Ryuko, I have always held the utmost regard for Lady Satsuki's beliefs, and so I have always sought to serve her with the excellence that was deserved of her presence! But I would  never insinuate that I...I never once even hinted that I could possibly be fit to stand in for her own beloved father's presence!"

He quickly turned towards Satsuki, in an effort to appeal to her acute sense of fairness. Yet Soroi found himself pausing as he observed an expression of tranquil calm upon her delicate features, instead of the disdainful mask of annoyed displeasure he was surely expecting. The smallest of smiles decorated her lips even as she gently excoriated her fumbling sibling's awkward statements.

"There. Do you see what I have to put up with, Soroi? You see, Ryuko here has the rare talent of cutting straight through to the heart of a matter, whether one appreciates her crude and brutish methodology or not. In this particular case, it would so happen that she...well, she is not exactly incorrect. You have always been... _*ahem*…more_ than just a mere faithful servant to me. I just never had the wherewithal to express it properly. For this I sincerely apologize."

"Ah, I would like to think I could have done a better job if that were true, milady. Why, I couldn't even get your tea right!"

" _Not_ true. That tea ended up being an important lesson for me! I needed to accept things as they _truly_ were, not as they were sweetened and presented to me by others. By learning to savor the core essence of that bitter tea, I also learned about seeking the true state of reality around me. I have you to thank for this wisdom, Soroi. It served to quench my steel as well as my thirst."

Her eyes misted over a bit just then, and the elder servant found himself silently gasping as Satsuki quickly looked away, then looked back at him with quiet, reserved adulation. Her voice was a strained whisper as she struggled to compose herself into projecting an even, proper tone through the swollen emotions that now constricted her throat.

"All the times you stood by me…serving as my silent guardian; sheltering me when you could, nursing me back to health afterwards when you could not. I owe you so very much, dear Soroi. _I wouldn't have made it in that house without you at my side."_

"Milady! I…" Soroi's voice trailed off, caught unaware by the sudden and uncharacteristically emotional pull of her words. Turning away, he found his flustered eyes wandering over to observe Ryuko, who was now leaning against the door frame, arms wrapped tightly around her sides as she regarded him with similarly moistened eyelids. A broad smile worked its way out as she quietly chimed in with her very own brand of concentrated truth serum.

"She's missed you so much, Soroi. She doesn't wanna actually admit it to anybody, but she totally has. A-and I just wanna say that I'm super grateful you were there for her, too. It makes me feel a little better that someone truly awesome was there to make her life just a little bit easier, y'know? Satsuki told me 'bout how you were always there to calm her down and care for her after one of Ragyo's shitty lessons in violence and stuff, and…you're such a brave and decent man for doing that for her. I mean…look, Dad sure wasn't there to protect her, and neither was I. But you _were_ there for her, and that means a whole lot to me! Ha! I mean…* _pssht*_! It sure ain't easy, caring fer someone so stuck-up and attitudinal, right? But it's totally obvious that you really _do_ care a lot about her, right?"

"Why, of _course_ I do. Lady Satsuki is and always has been an extraordinary individual, deserving of all the attention and assistance I could possibly render! It was my solemn duty to care for her needs, and I did my very best to carry out this sacred honor! Lady Satsuki, it was terribly unfair, what that woman forced you to endure! I just wish I could have done more to spare you of the awful things that horrid creature inflicted upon you, milady. You deserved absolutely none of it! I do beg your forgiveness in regards to my speaking out of turn like this, but your mother was such an abysmal creature! It was all I could do to try and shelter you in some small way. It broke my heart, to witness such cruelty and yet be unable to ever put an end to it. I am truly glad if I provided you with even one moment of blessed respite."

Smiling gently, Satsuki pursed her lips as she nodded in Ryuko's general direction. "Don't let her brash bluntness rattle you, Soroi. She is as uncouth as one can be and yet still manages to survive even my wrath! But I do…I should admit that… _yes._ I  do miss you so, Soroi. If you wished to come back and take up your position as our family servant, I would be truly honored by your presence."

"Hey! The guest cottage ain't even been touched since we moved here, so you could be the very first person to live there! It's super cool! There's a Jacuzzi, and a really sweet enclosed back patio sunroom thingy and _oh!_ Even a wine cellar! And you just _have_ to see the building's video tech features, it'll blow your mind! _Aw crap, I hope I didn't just blow that surprise…_ uh, so I can totally get a king-size bed put in there if ya want, 'cause it's only got a queen right now! Oh, and if ya want, I can _also_ throw in a-"

Soroi raised his hands in gentle surrender to Ryuko's vigorous onslaught. "I beg your pardon, but bribery simply isn't necessary, Lady Ryuko! I would be most delighted to be a part of this household again, if you'll have me back? Lady Satsuki, would you concur with…?"

Satsuki stood up, hand graciously extended in an offer to seal the deal. "I would be most honored. It just isn't the same without you, my dear friend. Please, do come back to us."

Soroi slowly stood, carefully smoothed out his slacks, then reached out to meet her hand with his own. At this, Ryuko uttered a small exclamation of exasperation, then hurried over to rearrange the deal to be more to her own satisfaction. She clapped both figures on the back, then immediately smooshed them together as awkwardly as could be accomplished. Stumbling forward, Satsuki gasped as she tumbled forward into the vigilant embrace of Soroi, who dared not to even think of allowing her body to unceremoniously tumble to the ground.

"Ryuko! What has gotten into you? How _dare_ you act so-"

"Oi, will you shut the heck up for once? This ain't just a damned business deal, Sats…this is about family! He's _your_ family! So _act_ like it! Give 'em a real hug like ya mean it, you big ol' secret softy!"

Burning red cheeks glowing like hot coals, Satsuki briefly glanced up at Soroi's equally flustered expression as she silently cursed her sibling's unthinkable rudeness. So many unspoken rules had just been carelessly shattered by the young upstart, and it was up to them to clean up the mess as civilly as they could. Any chance of drawing away was quickly removed by said upstart, her hands firmly clamped upon both of their backs.

"Quit the stuffy act! No offense there, Soroi…you're just being you. But Satsuki, ya just gotta learn to loosen up when it really counts? Come on, I ain't lettin' go until you both hug it out properly!"

Eyes frantically searched for a dignified way out of this most embarrassing predicament, but no plan was turned up. Satsuki coughed nervously, then slowly raised her gaze again to meet Soroi's furrowed brow and dark, concerned eyes. It was time to start digging into uncharted ground, thanks to a _certain impulsive idiot child who has meddled in her plans for the very last time!_

Slowly, hesitant limbs encircled the other figure as a never-performed attempt at a hug was finally initiated. Satsuki uttered a soft, uncharacteristically meek groan, then weakly shrugged as she tried to formulate a way to apologize for this terrible insult to proper decorum, to just make it all somehow go away.

"Soroi-sama, I…I'm so sorry for all of this. I should have been more honest with you. I didn't want you to leave us…leave me. But I was a coward. I couldn't find an appropriate way to say how I truly felt."

The elder gentleman tut-tutted his young charge, quietly exonerating her from any blame, past or present. "Nonsense, milady. I will admit there was a brief spot of confusion, but it has been settled. You have made your feelings clear, so there is no further need to explain anything. Furthermore, I would like it to be known that I have indeed missed you, as well as the company you keep. I have grown rather fond of you all."

Her voice was dusty and dry as she, entirely on impulse, briefly squeezed him while whispering her innermost thoughts out for his humble consideration. "Soroi, thank you so much for always understanding. Truly, it means the world to me… _*ahem*_ …a-as do you."

He cordially returned the impromptu hug with his own polite embrace, then drew away to gently pat her on the shoulders. "But of course, milady! I always have, and I always will! I am phenomenally proud of you, after all."

Soroi then experienced the slightest sensation of déjà vu as Satsuki slowly peered up at him, eyes as bright and resolute as they were the day her father's sudden passing was broken to her. An indeterminate expression washed over her delicate features as Soroi gently soothed his young charge's nervousness. "You're proud…of me? Have I truly been someone to be proud of, though?"

"Absolutely, Lady Satsuki. My faith in you has _never_ been shaken, even in the slightest! I could not possibly be more proud of you. You have grown into an elegant and shrewd young lady who has also bloomed into an exemplary human being as well. You simply must have faith in yourself… _for I always have._ "

Satsuki hadn't even once imagined that she ever harbored a desire to hear those words from him…until they finally came home to nest inside her deepest thoughts. Tranquility flowed freely as she allowed the calming message to coax her down from her personal guilt gallows. Soroi had never, _could_ never misrepresent the truth to her. He was the most honest and steadfast foundation one could ever ask for…it was up to her to pay back the honor he so rightfully deserved.

"Th- _thank_ you, Soroi. Those words means a lot, coming from you. I shall always treasure your kind insight. I have never really been without the love and support of family, have I? I can see this now. That being said, I simply must apologize to you about _this_ shameful situation, however. Ryuko has all the social grace of a swan on roller skates, and for this I must profusely beg your-"

"Will you friggin' _relax_ about it already, Satsuki? Family's about being awkward, sometimes. Gotta get over that if you ever want to be more normal, you big ol' wuss!"

"Yes, I _noticed._ " Satsuki hissed, poison dripping from her syllables as she envisioned burning a wrathful hole right into Ryuko's ever-smirking face. Ryuko snorted, then patted Satsuki on the shoulder as she chuckled and whispered "Yeah? About time you admitted the whole 'wuss' thing."

A solar flare of sheer annoyance lanced out of Satsuki's expression as she shook her fist. "I meant the _awkwardness_ , you dolt!" A tender hand rested briefly upon the clenched claw of impending retribution, soothing it into a softer weapon as she found her anger immediately dissipating from Soroi's concerned touch.

"Now, now. Don't let her rile you so, Lady Satsuki. I'll tell you what; I shall take the liberty of preparing some tea so that we may all relax in an appropriate manner. Shall we?"

"Uh, c'n I get some honey and lemon with mine, please? I don't really 'do' Satsuki's bitter tea, if that's okay with you, Soroi."

He bowed graciously, then set forth to faithfully perform his long-standing tradition once again. "But of course, Lady Ryuko! I recall your own preferences quite well. After all, it is my duty to provide proper comfort to all who dwell in this abode. Personal nourishment requirements are but _one_ of my many, many duties. Please do be seated, I shall return shortly with refreshments."

A sudden sunrise of cheer filled Ryuko's heart as a happy realization flooded her very being with giddy joy. _'Oh my God…that's right! Soroi's coming back…this means I'm never gonna hafta do laundry…_ _ever_ _…again! YES! Score!'_

Satsuki rolled her eyes as she observed the barely-concealed smile plastered over Ryuko's now-beaming face. _'Oh,_ _do_ _get over yourself, silly girl. Lemons simply aren't_ _that_ _tasty! My goodness, the tiniest of things make her so very happy…'_

She then was mildly surprised to find a slight grin appearing over her own terse lips in spite of herself. _'Still…even I don't prepare tea quite like Soroi does. I will admit, I have sincerely missed that feeling. Why yes, I do believe that this_ _is_ _something to look forward to, after all…'_

* * *

\- Present day -

Stealthy as a mischievous cat, Ryuko slipped into the upstairs study with silent and gleeful fervor. The mission: retribution. The target: a certain dark-haired businesswoman. The crime: mulling over annoying workplace crap at home for far too long...and on a weekend, no less! The sentence? Punishment was to be delivered via an ice-based projectile, cubed in shape and precisely administered down the back of said preoccupied woman's blouse. It was time for silent justice.

She was in the process of meting out this harshest of judgments when Satsuki quietly sighed to herself, reached back without looking and masterfully caught the ice cube mid-drop. She then unceremoniously delivered it right into her cup of warm diet soda with nary a drop spilled.

Justice denied, Ryuko then let out an exasperated gasp of ' _how the fuck did she know I was there?_ ', blended with just a tinge of ' _fuck, I_ _really_ _wanted to see her squirm_ '. Satsuki was staring out the window, pensively gazing at the fiery sunset that was now emblazoned across the twilight sky.

"Oi! How th'...?"

"Reflection."

"Aw, crap. I was so going to get you this time, but _good!_ "

"Mmm."

"I was!"

"And I said 'Mmm'. I'm not in the mood, Ryuko."

"Okay, that big ol' stick in yer ass just _has_ to come out."

"Mmm."

"Will you quit that?"

"Not unless it immediately brings about the definitive cessation of your untimely pestering efforts, post haste."

" _*sigh*_ All right, all right! Truce, surrender, peace accord signed. World rejoices. Happy?"

Satsuki's face flickered, a brief ripple of unpleasantness that faded back into a neutral, pensive gaze into the heart of the dying sunset.

"No, not really. Not today."

Ryuko frowned, noting that there was an untold, shadowy depth to her sibling's vague demeanor. She dragged a chair over and sat next to Satsuki, mission of mirth abandoned for one of genuine concern. Staring out silently along with her for a few minutes, she eventually coaxed a query out from her suddenly-ashamed lungs.

"Uh…so, anything I can maybe help you with?"

Satsuki just shrugged, quietly opening her laptop's screen as she sighed forlornly to herself. "I apologize. I don't mean to be so brusque towards you, regardless of your original motive for coming in here. It just...well, it hasn't been a good day, that's all."

Ryuko's turn to shrug came up, so it was deployed right on cue, along with a faint snickering of mischievous intent. "Aw, ya know me, sneaky little shit that I am. But...seriously? You've been up here for hours, being all quietly mopey and stuff. How come?"

"I was talking to Rei earlier today. Catching up, as we are wont to do at times. The occasional cordial conversation does wonders for gauging her current attitude towards me."

"Yeah... _and?_ Don't leave me hanging here, Satsuki?"

"Relax, Ryuko. There's no trouble brewing between us, I promise! She's fine, we are fine. If anything, she now frequently relies upon me for business leadership advice, so I at least serve that useful function in her life. No, this is more of a shared problem that happens to be vexing us both."

"Oh, shit. Old company stuff? _Bad_ company stuff?"

"Yes. No...well, not really. It's more just a matter of unfortunate circumstances, repercussions from actions past. Unavoidable, given past occurrences and... _*sigh*_ …the stain of certain family legacies, rearing up once more."

"Uh, all right. Look, you know I don't understand profit and loss margins or sunk costs or whatever it is you do at work, so just put it to me straight, 'kay?"

"It's not really business related. All right, listen…there was once a high ranking employee of REVOCS, part of Ragyo's inner circle of trained corporate yes-men. He was at one time a dedicated family man, but he was regrettably sucked up into her evil plans as part of his position. He had originally met his wife in France: as part of Ragyo's international entourage, he traveled there quite frequently and so he eventually ended up bringing his love back with him. Well, this man was grievously injured during the final assault upon the Academy, and was thusly absent to be absorbed into the Original Life Fiber along with the rest of his ilk. He lingered for a long while, but then later died from his injuries. This left his poor wife and newborn child to soldier on alone in the face of public backlash from the REVOCS disaster and subsequent corporate implosion."

"Gee, that really sucks. So many people were hurt by that shitstorm. I can see why you're so bummed out about-"

"That's not all. The reason I was talking to Rei is that she is at a loss for what to do, in light of recent events. Apparently the wife was killed in an accident not too long ago, leaving the child an orphan. She was, of course, sent to an orphanage, since they had no other known living relatives either here or abroad. But now that this poor girl is sitting all alone in an orphanage...she, too, has the Kiryuin curse hanging over her head."

"Wha-how exactly is that true?"

"Once word got out that she was related to that man, well...vicious rumors and gossip have done their damage. Superstitious people assume guilt through association, and there are so many of those people around. Rei fears that no one will adopt her because of this. She is also a mixed-race child, which unfortunately lowers her desirability even further. I mean, there's not much a corporation can do for someone like that, yet...I cannot help but somehow feel responsible. My heart weighs heavily upon me due to this predicament, and I have failed to craft a reasonable plan to address it."

"Oh, man. What? That's just _so_ wrong. Come on, now how can people hold shit like _that_ against a little girl? Damn it, it ain't her fault?!"

"People are people, Ryuko. Humans are the perfect example of imperfection, and that is a fact I shall never forget. You shouldn't, either."

"Well that just ain't right. I...I gotta at least see if there's anything I can do to help! I can't just let the girl be...y'know, all alone like that. She'll be so scared! She could end up like...well, I mean...she doesn't deserve to experience a lonely childhood like I-"

'Like we _both_ did, you mean. Do not forget that I also know this feeling well. Why do you think I've been so morose today?"

"Uh...yeah. Of course. So I have to help her out! It's like a thing I need to do. Hey, you don't gotta get involved, Satsuki. This is my idea. I know you ain't exactly cool with being around kids like I am. I can do this."

" _'Do this'_? Do...what, exactly? Are you suggesting that you might adopt her yourself?"

"Uh...well, I mean...yeah? M-maybe?"

"Have you even though this through at all? I feel as though I shouldn't have to remind you of the folly of rushing headlong into things, yes?"

"Yes, but I also know when something's the right thing to do."

"She's not a _puppy_ , Ryuko. You don't do something like this on a whim! She's a human being! That is an enormous commitment! In fact, it's a life-defining one!"

"I...know that. But, I _do_ want kids. Satsuki, I know I haven't really told you this, but...yeah, so I don't see myself gettin' all knocked up any time soon? I mean, I have thought about artificial insemination, but I figure that's way too risky with my questionable half-alien biology…so adoption was eventually gonna be my primary plan."

"Er, you have had thoughts about children? Why, I wasn't aware of this at all."

"Hasn't really come up in conversation, ya know? But I do think more about my future now, all right? I mean, now that I actually have one. I didn't think I'd last very long, following the tough path I chose, ya know? So...yeah, that is something I decided that I do eventually want for myself. Look, I'm not saying that I _will_ adopt her, okay? But maybe...just maybe this is meant to be? Like fate or something."

"Fate? You are willing to become a mother to a child...just like that? And you want to ascribe it to fate?"

"My mind is made up, Satsuki. Like I said, you don't hafta be involved. Yeah, so maybe it's a little bit too early for me, but how often does anyone properly plan parenthood, anyways? I think that for a lot of people, it happens at the worst possible time, but most people are good at rolling with life's unexpected punches...heck, I know I am!"

"Well, I certainly won't argue with you there."

" _*gasp!*_ Aw...hey, look at that. Miracles _can_ happen! But ya see, like I'm not tied to you, you're also not tied to me. If this does happen, I can just move out and get my own place. Hell, I can afford it! I can understand that you might not want to deal with a kid at this point in your life, and I won't force you to, Satsuki. I ain't _that_ dumb."

"Wait, now hold on, I didn't say that! You don't have to just up and _leave_ me to-! I…listen, I mean...hypothetically, if it _were_ a clean start to someone's life that one was looking for, surely that child's adoption would be a boon to them. Ryuko…I-I'm not exactly against children, you know! I have simply always felt that they would find no value in my presence? I would be a bad influence for sure. What have I to offer a child? Why, I cannot imagine a poorer choice for a role model than me! I'm just a...a broken soldier, Ryuko! I can't be trusted to properly nurture or...I shouldn't be caring for a...how would I even know _how_ to be a proper parent? It would be an utter disaster, I'm sure of it!"

"You know that just ain't true, Satsuki! You're a totally awesome person who just had bad stuff happen to them, that's all. You've helped me out with tons of stuff! You've helped lots of people in so many ways! Yeah, so if you're such a 'bad' person, then how come you have all that loving concern inside your heart in the first place, huh? You just have problems with properly expressing it, all right? That's totally understandable! Yeah, like I somehow haven't learned a crapload of important stuff from you or anything, like responsibility and planning and thinking critically about things and all sorts of stuff a kid could _never_ find useful in life, right? Hey, I know for a fact that I'm a better person for having known you, right there. You changed me for the better! So deal with it, Satsuki! Better just suck it up and face the facts: you'd be a kick-ass mom, all right? The best!"

"I...but I…Ryuko, you know I-now how in the hell do you _do_ that so effectively? You have this way of…of just cutting right to the emotional heart of a matter...and this is so _sudden!_ It's impulsive and overly...ah, it's just too... _*sigh*_ I don't know what to say now, this is so very unexpected!"

"Uh…have you met me? Satsuki-sama…I understand how you might feel about this, I ain't dumb. You do not have to get involved at all, 'kay? This can be my own thing. I can't just leave her there like that, all alone in the world. I can't let her go through that! I just _can't_. If there's something I can do to save her, I have to at least try."

"Ah...yes, well. So I think…hmm. You know, my gut instinct says that perhaps we should both go."

"Yeah...? Huh. Kinda surprised you'd say that, in light of what you just said."

"Well, Ryuko-san...historically speaking, I'm just full of uncatalogued surprises, now aren't I? Yes, I believe that we shall go together. Perhaps by doing so, we may just end up with that one thing we have both been yearning for over the years, you and I, down to the very core of our beings."

"Oi…? What's that?"

"…an incomprehensible family to call our very own."

 **-** ** _Fin_** **-**


	18. - A New Heart -

\- A New Heart -

* * *

Hmm…right. So here's the deal. If you read 'Love and War' and liked it exactly the way it turned out…you should probably skip this. However…if you appreciate silly humor and authors who scream 'Fuck continuity! (a.k.a. Gainax endings)', then by all means…read on.

You have been warned.

* * *

~Epilogue~

" ** _Gyaaaah!_** "

" _Zzzzzzhhmm…? Whazza-_ Ryuko? _Ryuko-chan!_ Are you all right? What's wrong, my dearest love?"

"Uhmm…oh, man. M-Mako? Oh my God, Mako, I just had the weirdest dream _ever!_ "

"Oh, no! Was it another nightmare, sweetie? Here, let me hug all the bad stuff away!"

" _*Urk*_ M-Mako…! N-need oxygen…! Pleathe! Can't… _*hurk*_ …bweathe!"

"Whoopsie! I'm sorry, Ryuko-chan! You know I just can't _stand_ the idea of you being in harm's way! Gosh, I just want to smother you with the power of my sweet love until you feel _better!_ It's okay, Ryuko-chan! I have you! You're safe, here in bed with me! I won't let the bad dreams get you! Mankanshoku Mako won't rest until you are safe and free to sleep the most peaceful sleep of angels, my love!"

" _*cough*_ G-got it, Mako, I got it…I'm all right now. Just ease up a little bit, gimme some space to breathe now, there we go…hoo, boy. That dream…oh, it was a real doozy. Where the hell do I even begin…?"

"Oh, my poor Ryuko. Was it the ' _mama bad touch_ ' dream again?"

"Uh, no. No Ragyo this time…"

"Uhmmm-OH! Was it the ' _bad rabbits_ ' dream again?"

"I…uh…no, I've never _had_ that one before?"

"Oh, my bad. That's one of mine. Silly me! Let's see now…oh, I know! It was the ' _planet covered in_ _life fiber threads where that little girl turns into a gun and arrests you_ ' dream!"

"What the-no! Are you out of your damned _mind_ , Mako? Will ya just gimme a minute and let me gather my thoughts so I can just _tell_ you about it myself?"

"Oh! That was going to be my very _next_ guess!"

"A'right, settle down. _*ahem*_ Yeah…so, it was super weird? Uh, so…there I was: living with Satsuki in her big ol' mansion, right? And there was lots of weird fighting and scientific experiments and music concerts and shootouts and life fiber monsters and stuff, and I also somehow became really rich by selling my body! Uh, wait. Hold on, lemme rephrase that last part: I was selling my internal life fibers as samples for scientific research…I was _not_ a freakin' call girl! Oh, and during all that I…I was…um…I somehow kinda ended up being married…to…her?"

"…holy crap, really? _*Gasp*_ You mean…to _Satsuki_? Gee, well you know, Ryuko-chan…she _is_ super pretty! But Ryuko! She's your sister?! You can't _do_ that!"

"I know that, Mako! It was a _dream!_ Geez, ain't ya been listenin' to what I just said? It was really, really strange, all right? I can't be held responsible for having a dream like that! Gawd! Just think: me, sexing up my stuffy, grumpy, stick-in-the-mud sister? _Hell_ to the _no_! That is _every_ kind of wrong! Ugh!"

"Oh wow, that's _so_ weird. Good thing it was only a dream! So…was Satsuki really hot in the sack or what?"

"Ew! Mako! Hello? She's my _sister!_ Don't say stuff like that, you little pervert!"

"Aw, I'm sorry, Ryuko! I didn't mean it like that! I was just curious. Besides, I like my girls all fiery and silly and heroic! Satsuki is way too serious and not at _all_ silly! Not that she isn't heroic, because of course _that_ ended up being true eventually! But you're more my type! Even though she _is_ a super pretty lady…with really big boobs!"

"Oh. _My._ **_God._** Stop talking about her like that! Ya know, Nonon would freakin' murder you if she heard you creeping on her girlfriend with those kind of words! She gets, like, _super_ jealous of anyone who threatens their relationship! Don't you  ever let her hear you saying that kinda crap about Satsuki-sama, or she'll totally kick your ass!"

"No she wouldn't! Nonon is kinda nice, once you get past the intense torrents of verbal abuse and get to really know her! Besides, I'm only kidding! I couldn't _possibly_ think about going after Satsuki-sama when I have you, the hero of my very own heart! You're  my Ryuko-chan, and that's just the way it is! You know what? Nonon can keep her second-place Kiryuin family trophy! _You're_ my number one lady, and I only love _you_ like that!"

"Yeah, I…I know. I love you, too."

"That's right! You and me, forever! Yeah!"

"Yeah!"

"So…are you feeling all right now? After that terrible dream?"

"Yeah, I guess I'm okay. I mean it was so damned weird, but it felt so real! It really sucked when my life fibers ended up taking over my mind, and I almost killed everyone I ever loved! That's like my biggest nightmare, right there. But Satsuki saved me from all that somehow…repeatedly…"

"Well, come on, Ryuko. She's _always_ been there to save your butt when it really comes down to it!"

"True, true. She is a pretty awesome sister, even if she does have a really hard time loosening up around people. But the other weird thing I remember is that we had a kid together, too."

"Um…Ryuko? I really hate to tell you this, but ladies' plumbing doesn't _work_ that way, silly! You see, when two girls really, really love each other, even if they have wild, squishy sex really, _really_ hard, they  still can't make a-"

" _I KNOW THAT, YOU DORK!_ It was through adoption, okay? Jeez! You know, I wasn't the one who slept all through their sex education classes, all right?"

"Okay, okay! I was just checking to be sure, that's all! So then…what _was_ your dream kid like, Ryuko?"

"Well, she was the sweetest little girl. She was this hyper and excitable blonde, with her hair all done up in pigtails, and she just ran around and played all the time, like she was made of pure energy-"

"Wh- _whaaaa-aaat?_ You adopted  Harime Nui as your _daughter_? Ryuko-chan! I hate to break it to you, but that was an official straight-up  nightmare! And as an almost real doctor's daughter, I have a responsibility to take charge of this situation and treat you immediately for your psychic trauma! I'm prescribing some hot cocoa to calm you down, stat! Come on, to the kitchen! This is a medical emergency!"

"B-but, it wasn't like that? I mean, I…it was different, she wasn't like Nui at-"

"Come on, Ryuko-chan! I'll treat you right and make sure the nasty, horrible nightmare doesn't confuse you anymore!"

"But it _wasn't_ a nightmare, Mako! It was just a really weird dream, that's all! Gosh, it was so detailed, it felt  so real…f'r instance, there was this awesome concert that we all went to, and you ate all this strange food while Nonon conducted the show? I even got to play guitar on stage for it! Then I got shot by some evil assassin guy and almost _died_ , but then I got better! Ya see, I was in a coma, but Satsuki nursed me back to health! _Omigod_ , and _then_ I turned into an evil vampire thing because of my damned life fibers, but then Satsuki got her _own_ life fibers activated and became this super fiber demon as well, only hers were _blue!_ So then we fought these terrible, bloody battles and _then_ I tried to kill myself to save the whole world! But Satsuki managed to save me _again_ , and later on we ended up fighting in some underground laboratory, and there was this terrible explosion? But we ended up being cured and went back to normal…after we spent a lot more time in the hospital, of course!"

"Uh-huh. Look, I'm gonna start slapping your face back and forth really fast, okay? It's for your own good, Ryuko-chan."

"Ow! Hey! Cut that out! Grr… _quit it!_ Now where was I…? Oh yeah, and then we sorta got married…well, kinda, but not really…and it was after _that_ when we adopted a child together! And she  wasn't Harime Nui, either! Although Sats _did_ sorta think that once, when the pigtails officially became a thing? Oh, but that was just her seeing things…like a flashback or whatever? Anyways, it worked itself out. Sats is a good mom. But I tell the best bedtime stories, though!"

"Ryuko-chan…?"

"Yeah, Mako?"

"That settles it. No more American food before you go to bed."

"…but-"

" ** _Bed_** , Ryuko-chan! Now! That is an order!"

" _…_ _aw._ "

 **-** ** _Fin (again!)_** **-**

* * *

See, I warned you not to read this.

Title and concept refers to the TV show 'Newhart', which had the most fucked up series finale ever (main character wakes up in bed with the wife from his previous 'Bob Newhart Show': the entire Newhart show ended up being a weird dream he had!)!


End file.
